Reaching the last mile: Innovative financing and distribution for energy solutions in displacement settings

According to our latest research, 44% of GDC members operate in displacement or humanitarian settings, demonstrating the vital role that last mile distributors play in reaching marginalised people most at risk of being left behind. But these companies also face a range of financial and operational barriers that constrain their growth and limit their potential impact.

This blog written in partnership with Mercy Corps we explore:

• Key insights into how local energy access businesses – specifically in Uganda – navigate challenges to ensure that even the hardest-to-reach customers benefit from the transformational impacts of reliable energy access.
• Two new, complementary mechanisms to enable these companies to access the finance they need to ramp up impacts at the last mile, including in humanitarian settings. Namely, the GDC’s Investment Catalyst Facility (kicking off in January), which unlocks debt financing for small and medium-sized distributors; as well as the Humenergi financing facility, which sits under the THEA programme – an initiative by Mercy Corps, Ashden and the Global Platform for Action on Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings (GPA) – which will offer concessional loans to off grid energy companies operating in refugee settlements, and energy-focused refugee-led organisations.

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