€2 million programme will support Solarise Africa’s entry into two high-potential African markets, targeting 3 MW of new renewable energy capacity
(Nairobi, Kenya) 13 October 2026 – Solarise Africa has been awarded €1 million in funding from the Energy and Environment Partnership Trust Fund (EEP Africa) to support the expansion of its proven solar leasing model into Uganda and Zambia.
Matched by €1 million in co-financing from Solarise Africa, the grant forms part of a €2 million, 24-month programme that will establish operations in both markets and deploy decentralised renewable energy solutions for commercial and industrial businesses and social institutions.
The project targets the deployment of 3 MW of new renewable energy capacity, including solar PV, battery storage and, where appropriate, heat pump technologies.
The programme is designed to demonstrate how a proven combination of renewable energy technology, long-term financing and local partnerships can address one of the most persistent constraints facing African businesses: access to energy that is reliable, affordable and increasingly sustainable.
Taking a proven African model into new markets
Solarise Africa was founded in 2018 in response to a clear market challenge. Businesses wanted to transition to renewable energy, but many lacked access to financing structures suited to the realities of operating in African markets.
What began as an innovative financing solution has since evolved into an integrated energy platform combining engineering, smart finance, operations and maintenance, and energy optimisation.
Today, Solarise Africa operates across Southern and East Africa, bringing together energy expertise, a deep understanding of African markets, and long-term customer relationships to deliver decentralised energy solutions designed around each client’s operational and financial requirements.
The EEP Africa grant will enable Solarise Africa to take this established model further into Uganda and into Zambia, creating the local structures, partnerships and project pipeline required to build sustainable operations in both countries.
“This grant represents much more than entry into two new markets. It is an opportunity to demonstrate that a model we have spent years building and refining can be successfully replicated across Africa,” said Jan Albert Valk, Co-Founder and CEO of Solarise Africa. “Businesses across the continent face the same fundamental challenge: they need energy that is more reliable, more affordable and cleaner, but the capital and financing structures required to make that transition are not always readily available. Our role is to bridge that gap.”
Measurable energy, economic and environmental impact
By the end of the project, Solarise Africa targets 3 MW of new renewable generating capacity, with the commissioned systems expected to deliver measurable improvements in energy reliability for participating businesses and institutions.
Under the project’s contractual milestones, Solarise Africa will report and verify at least 4.5 GWh of renewable electricity generation and 3,600 tonnes of avoided CO₂ emissions across the project.
Catalytic capital designed to unlock greater investment
The grant builds on Solarise Africa’s track record of successfully attracting institutional capital to Africa’s commercial and industrial energy sector.
Since its establishment, Solarise Africa has secured equity and debt funding from respected African and international investors and development finance institutions, supporting the company’s expansion from Kenya into a broader pan-African energy platform.
EEP Africa funding plays an important complementary role. By helping Solarise Africa establish its operating platform, develop its very strong pipeline and deploy additional projects in Uganda and its first portfolio in Zambia, catalytic grant funding reduces the barriers associated with entering new markets and creates the foundation for significantly greater private-sector investment.
“The long-term opportunity goes far beyond this project,” said Sakkie van Wijk, Co-Founder and COO of Solarise Africa. “Our objective is to build commercially sustainable operations in Uganda and Zambia that can continue deploying energy infrastructure well beyond the grant period. EEP Africa’s support gives us the opportunity to establish that foundation while maintaining the technical, financial and operational standards that have underpinned our growth to date.”
Empowering Africa’s energy future
For Solarise Africa, expanding in Uganda and into Zambia is part of a broader ambition to help reshape how African businesses access and manage energy.
Across the continent, unreliable grids, rising electricity costs and dependence on fossil-fuel back-up generation continue to constrain productivity and competitiveness. At the same time, the capital required to invest in renewable energy infrastructure remains a barrier for many businesses.
Solarise Africa addresses both challenges by integrating the energy solution and the financing required to make it possible.
By enabling businesses to operate with more reliable and cost-effective energy, Solarise Africa believes decentralised renewable energy can do more than reduce emissions. It can strengthen businesses, support employment, improve competitiveness and contribute to more resilient African economies.
ABOUT EEP AFRICA
The Energy and Environment Partnership Trust Fund (EEP Africa) provides early-stage grant and catalytic financing to innovative clean energy projects, technologies and business models in Southern and East Africa. EP Africa is hosted and managed by the Nordic Development Fund (NDF), with funding from Austria, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, NDF, Norway, and Switzerland.
ABOUT SOLARISE AFRICA
Solarise Africa is a pan-African energy company providing decentralised energy solutions to commercial and industrial businesses. Founded in 2018, the company has evolved from an innovative energy financing provider into an integrated energy company with capabilities spanning engineering, smart finance, operations and maintenance, and energy optimisation. Solarise Africa combines deep energy expertise with an understanding of finance and credit risk in African markets, enabling businesses to access reliable, cost-effective and sustainable energy solutions while preserving capital for their core operations and growth. Through disciplined capital deployment, strong partnerships and long-term customer relationships, Solarise Africa is building a scalable platform to accelerate Africa’s transition towards a cleaner, more resilient and decentralised energy future.