SDG 7 Results: Access to renewable energy

Sustainable development goals

Together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we use the SDG 7 Results programme to contribute to the sustainable development goals. SDG 7 Results contributes to:

Results

SDG 7 Results has provided over 3 million people in developing countries with access to renewable energy. SDG 7 Results projects contribute to:

• access to electricity in homes;
• access to clean cooking in homes.

And:

• low-carbon climate-resilient development;
• less gender inequality;
• private sector development and employment, and
• private investments in the renewable energy sector.

Budget

The available budget for the tender round in 2022 was €8 million. Subsidies were at least €250,000 and at most €2.5 million per project.

Programmes and projects

Through SDG 7 Results, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency carries out 26 projects in 9 countries.

See the Development Cooperation Projects database for all SDG 7 Results projects that have started since 2020. This portal offers an overview of all official development aid (ODA) projects and programmes the Netherlands Enterprise Agency carries out. You can refine your search using filter options such as country, sector and programme.

In practice

Read our SDG 7 Results user stories and watch these videos to get inspired.

Project Management

If we have approved your subsidy application and you are carrying out your project, please use our webform to notify us of any changes. If you plan to make important changes to the project, you need our approval before you make these changes. You must report the following changes as soon as possible:

• Administrative changes
• Organisational changes
• Financial changes
• Project region changes
• Target group changes
• Product changes.

Results payment

1. You will receive a payment after your organisation has achieved the measurable results agreed upon in advance. We will look at the number of households that now have access to renewable energy services as a result of your project activities.
2. You can submit claims while carrying out your project. An independent party verifies the results before payment. Their input helps us decide on the payment.
3. Applicants have some flexibility in how they achieve their results.

Calculation

If we approve your SDG 7 Results project, the amount of subsidy you will receive depends on the bid you made to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency. For example,

If you bid €25 per connection per product and you offered 10,000 connections, the requested subsidy is then €25 x 10,000 = €250,000. This amount is lower than the maximum subsidy percentage of 35% of the project costs, €350,000. If we approve your project, you will receive the requested subsidy of €250,000.

If we find out that your project costs multiplied by the subsidy percentage equal an amount lower than the subsidy you have received, we may ask for some of the subsidy back.

Have you asked for more than the maximum subsidy percentage?

You will not receive a subsidy if you have asked for more than 35% of the project costs. For example,

The requested subsidy of €500,000 is higher than the maximum subsidy, 35% of the €1000,000 project costs = €350,000, therefore you will not receive a subsidy.

Eligible project costs

Eligible costs are necessary project costs for activities in the target market. These include:

• Depreciation costs on investments. For example, depreciation on the construction costs of extra storage space/shops or on vehicles bought for the activities.

And other costs such as:

• Wages;
• Freight costs from the supplier to the seller;
• Transport costs;
• Storage costs;
• Quality control costs; and
• Travel and accommodation costs.

Costs that are not eligible for a subsidy include:

• Developing your application and applying for the subsidy;
• Other costs made before you submitted your subsidy application;
• Inflation and changes to the exchange rate;
• Turnover tax or other types of tax;
• Accountant costs; and
• Representation costs.

Finalising your project

To finalise your project, you must complete and submit the documents listed below. Please request these documents by sending an email to sdg7results@rvo.nl. Include 'finalising my project' and your project reference number in the subject line of your email.

Project reference numbers starting with SDG719

• SDG 7 Results Subsidy Determination Form
• Audit Report (please follow Audit Protocol Tender 1)
• Addition Target Market Realisation (Excel)

Project reference numbers starting with SDG721

• SDG 7 Results Subsidy Determination Form
• Audit Report (please follow Audit Protocol Tender 2)
• Annex B Audit Protocol (Excel)

Please submit completed documents to sdg7results@rvo.nl. Once we have received these documents, we will assess them and inform you of your final subsidy amount within 13 weeks.

Law and regulations

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency set up the SDG 7 Results programme. Learn more about the administrative rules in the Government Gazette publications.