Kenya ICS Last Mile Entrepreneurs Acceleration Project (KILMEAP) at Practical Action Kenya

Background to the consultancy assignment

Practical Action was recently awarded a grant by EnDev-GCF to implement the Kenya ICS Last Mile Entrepreneurs Acceleration Project (KILMEAP); which falls under the EnDev-GCF project ‘Promotion of Climate-Friendly Cooking in Kenya and Senegal’. The project is being implemented in Nakuru and Nyandarua Counties as the main hubs. Additionally, the project proposes to have sub-hubs in Kericho (Kipkellion and Londiani) and Baringo (Mogotio, Kabarnet and Eldama Ravine). However, this scoping exercise will advise on the specific sub-hubs to be considered by the project.

The project has been designed to mitigate Green House Gas emissions from the unsustainable consumption of wood-based fuels in the household cooking sector, which is the largest single contributor to the GHG emissions in the energy sector in Kenya (70%). To do so the project will address the underlying root cause of the problem, i.e. slow and largely ODA-dependent growth of improved cookstove (ICS) sector.

Main Objective of the KILMEAP Project

The project’s main objective is to accelerate the growth of the ICS sector by unlocking the potential of last mile entrepreneurs as ICS distributors in unreached rural communities through market development support. In order to meet this objective, the KILMEAP project will:

1. Support the ICS supply chain by recruiting and developing the capacity of Last Mile Entrepreneurs (LMEs) to engage as ICS installers, and distributors,
2. Unlock the demand for ICS technologies by engaging in culturally appropriate awareness activities
3. Enhance a conducive market environment for the growth of ICS sector by engaging with county governments and relevant sector stakeholders.

Target Groups

This project mainly targets to work with ICS last mile entrepreneurs who retail and/or install ICS in their neighborhood/village in rural areas. The project aims to ensure that 60% of the ICS last mile entrepreneurs are women.

Technologies promoted
The project is focusing on promoting affordable improved biomass stoves that are locally produced in Kenya, including both charcoal and firewood stoves. The stoves are expected to
fulfil the following criteria:

• Firewood stoves: fuel savings of at least 40% over and above, compared to the fuel consumption of the baseline stove (i.e. three stone fire),
• Charcoal stoves: fuel savings of at least 30% over and above baseline stove (i.e., Kenya ceramic jiko).

The specific examples of the stoves include but are not limited to Jiko Sasa, Improved Metal Stove, Improved KCJ and Rocket Stoves.

Assignment Scope
The assignment requires the consultant(s) to provide the ICS landscape of the targeted counties of Nakuru, Nyandarua, Kericho and Baringo. More specifically, the consultant(s) is expected to conduct a market scoping exercise in the targeted counties to determine suitable ICS partners and the potential entry points for the recruitment process of ICS Last Mile Entrepreneurs (LMEs) to be engaged by the project as ICS installers and distributers. The consultant should indicate clearly the distribution of the ICS LMEs in the targeted counties and provide baseline data considering aspects such as: the potential number of LMEs per region/area, whether the LMEs run an operational business or not, the number of years of operation, the size of the business and past and projected sales. Already established distributors are preferred hence should be targeted during the exercise.

Key Deliverables and expected Outputs

This assignment is expected to take a total of 20 working days starting 20th Aug 2021.The assignment is expected to provide analysis of the information received in the assessment on each of the areas above and recommendations for recruitment of ICS LMEs. More specifically, the consultant is expected to provide the following deliverables:

1. An inception report which include:
   1. Proposed methodology
   2. Scoping exercise implementation work plan
2. A draft report for the project team to review and provide feedback to the consultant for input consideration and report improvement.
   1. A high quality and concise final report in agreed template and format, that includes:
      A summary of ICS sector landscape and a comparative assessment of its development status within the targeted countries including any barriers that would limit the participation of women and youth as Last Mile Entrepreneurs (The project requires that at least 60% of the LMEs to be women)
      Appropriate strategies for the engagement and recruitment of ICS Last Mile Distributors and Installers in the project target counties
      LME engagement and recruitment criteria that should be considered for this project, including a draft recruitment application form and advertisement posters.
      General baseline data of existing ICS LMEs containing information such as the potential number of LMEs per region/area, whether the LMEs run an operational business or not, the number of years of operation, the size of the business and past and projected sales
      List of names and contact details of key ICS value chain actors in the targeted counties including but not limited to ICS manufacturers, ICS retailers, ICS TVET/Training Institutions CBOs, youth, women groups and NGOs with ICS sector interventions or activities, as well as contact details of government representatives (country and semi-autonomous government agencies) with interest or mandate on the ICS sector.

Administrative and logistical support
The Consultants will report to the Project Manager. Other key project staff will provide day to day support during the assignment. In order to support the actualization of this assignment and within stipulated timelines, Practical Action will also provide:

• Facilitation of partnership meetings for the consultant with identified ICS stakeholders in the target counties, with a maximum of 7 stakeholder representatives per county;
• Facilitation of travel for a maximum of two consultants
• Facilitation of accommodation and communication for a maximum of two consultants

Terms of Engagement
Payment for the assignment shall be done in three tranches as indicated below

• Tranche 1 (25% of the total cost): Upon successful submission of inception report
• Tranche 2 (25% of the total cost): Upon submission and acceptance of the of the draft the report
• Tranche 3 (50% of the total cost): Upon submission and acceptance by Practical Action of the revised final report.

Please note that the payments will be done subject to the consulting entity meeting quality and timely delivery of stated task.

Minimum Qualifications

• Technical understanding and expertise with renewable energy in Kenya, and clean cooking solutions with a bias in the ICS sector.
• Bachelors/Master’s degree in renewable energy, economics, business development or other relevant discipline and at least five (5) years’ relevant work experience in designing and implementing energy access projects or consultancy assignments within the NGO or private sectors, in the East Africa region, Africa and internationally is required.
• Immediate availability is highly desirable