ECOWAS Renewable Energy Entrepreneurship Support Facility: Technical Training Workshop

In June 2016, the Technical Committee of the ECOWAS Renewable Energy Entrepreneurship Support Facility met in order to assess the applications for request received from ECOWAS-based renewable energy entrepreneurs during the Facility’s second call for applications. Following the evaluation of the applications, successful enterprises were chosen to be part of the second cohort of entrepreneurs and receive assistance from the Facility.

A training workshop, as part of the Facility’s set of activities to support entrepreneurs, was held from 19 to 23 September 2016 in Ouagadougou – Burkina Faso. The workshop was facilitated by IRENA, the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE), and SELCO India. In addressing entrepreneurs’ requests for technical assistance in scaling up their renewable energy enterprises, the workshop facilitated experience sharing amongst ECOWAS renewable energy entrepreneurs, direct contact between financial institition representatives and the entrepreneurs, and focused on exploring viable business models, marketing and sales strategies, after-sales servicing, building banking relationships and customizing renewable energy solutions to end-user needs, amongst other topics.