For a small business installing mini-grids, the choice can be a grant that covers a fixed period or an investor who wants equity and a return. The grant is easier to live with. Is it better?

4 replies

Repost

RepostPass it to your followers as it is Repost with your thoughtsSay what you make of it, as your own post

Share this post

WhatsApp X LinkedIn

kwame_boateng

26 days ago · Contributor

QuestionFinance

What is a realistic overhead percentage to put in a proposal?

Advice on overhead ranges from a low single figure to "never mention it". What is right?

2 replies

Repost

RepostPass it to your followers as it is Repost with your thoughtsSay what you make of it, as your own post

Share this post

WhatsApp X LinkedIn

kwame_boateng

26 days ago · Contributor

PostEnergy

What to report after a mini-grid's first year

A first-year report on a mini-grid is more useful with a few plain numbers: how many connections, the uptime and how it was measured, and what households spend compared with before. It is also worth recording what the power is used for. A...

3 replies

Repost

RepostPass it to your followers as it is Repost with your thoughtsSay what you make of it, as your own post

Share this post

WhatsApp X LinkedIn

nurul_ahmadQuestionClimateHow do you write a budget when you have never managed one?When a funder asks a volunteer-run project for a budget for the first time, what level of detail do they want? Every item, or categories?
kwame_boateng19 days agoIf the funder allows a contingency line, use it. Costs move, and a budget with no room for that turns into a series of awkward emails.1 found this usefulView reply
kwame_boatengQuestionEntrepreneurshipGrant funding or an investor for a solar business?For a small business installing mini-grids, the choice can be a grant that covers a fixed period or an investor who wants equity and a return. The grant is...
kwame_boateng21 days agoThat is a clearer way to put the decision. Proving the model comes first.View reply
naledi_sResourceFinanceWhat a budget template needsA budget that a reviewer can follow has three parts: categories, a notes column that explains how each number was reached, and a summary. The notes column is...
kwame_boateng21 days agoAgreed on the notes column. A number with its working shown is easier for a reviewer to accept.4 found this usefulView reply
kwame_boatengPostEnergyWhat to report after a mini-grid's first yearA first-year report on a mini-grid is more useful with a few plain numbers: how many connections, the uptime and how it was measured, and what households spend...
kwame_boateng25 days agoSay where it is logged and what counts as an outage. For example: logged at the inverter, counting any outage over two minutes. A figure without that cannot be compared with anybody else's.1 found this usefulView reply
omar_hassanQuestionEnergyIs anyone tracking what happens to solar equipment at end of life?Panels and batteries installed today become waste in time. Is anybody planning for that when the systems are installed?
kwame_boateng29 days agoBatteries are the urgent part, because they wear out long before panels do. A plan for collecting them belongs in the project from the start.3 found this usefulView reply
thabo_mQuestionEntrepreneurshipWhat makes a good mentor for an early-stage founder?For founders who have not yet made a sale, what should a mentor offer, and how much time does it take to be useful?
kwame_boateng5 Sept 2026Somebody who has run something in the same kind of business. A mentor from hardware is of limited use to a software founder, and the other way round.View reply
Global Opportunities ImpactOpportunityGender EqualityWOMEN IMPACT WEB GRANT 2026Bombshell Impact Design Agency is accepting applications for the 2026 cohort of the Women Impact Web Grant. Specifically, this pro-bono digital program helps...
kwame_boateng31 Mar 2026If the funder allows a contingency line, use it. Costs move, and a budget with no room for that becomes a series of awkward emails.View reply
Global Opportunities ImpactOpportunityYouth DevelopmentNYFF YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FUND 2026The Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF) invites applications from young changemakers and youth-led organizations. Specifically, this fund provides substantial...
kwame_boateng5 Mar 2026If the funder allows a contingency line, use it. Costs move, and a budget with no room for that becomes a series of awkward emails.View reply
Global Opportunities ImpactOpportunityClimateSDG Innovation Accelerator for Young Professionals 2026The UN Global Compact designed this nine-month program specifically for young talent. Consequently, it empowers future leaders to develop innovative solutions...
kwame_boateng24 Dec 2025Ask what happens after the programme ends, and whether there is an alumni network. What you keep afterwards is a large part of what you are joining.View reply
Global Opportunities ImpactOpportunityEntrepreneurshiptimbuktoo Pan-African Incubation NetworkThe timbuktoo Pan-African Incubation Network is a groundbreaking initiative, often supported by partners like the UNDP, designed to strengthen the startup...
kwame_boateng16 Dec 2025Ask what happens after the programme ends, and whether there is an alumni network. What you keep afterwards is a large part of what you are joining.View reply
Global Opportunities ImpactOpportunityHealthOpenAI AI and Mental Health Grant Program 2026OpenAI’s AI and Mental Health Grant Program is a major funding initiative designed to support ambitious research proposals that explore the intersection of...
kwame_boateng16 Dec 2025If the funder allows a contingency line, use it. Costs move, and a budget with no room for that becomes a series of awkward emails.View reply
Global Opportunities ImpactOpportunityClimateCFA Incubator Program 2026The Conservation Finance Alliance (CFA) Incubator is a global initiative designed to support and accelerate early-stage projects focused on conservation and...
kwame_boateng12 Dec 2025Ask what happens after the programme ends, and whether there is an alumni network. What you keep afterwards is a large part of what you are joining.View reply
Global Opportunities ImpactOpportunityCreative EconomyFood Banks Canada (FBC) Capacity Boost Grant 2026The Food Banks Canada (FBC) Capacity Boost Grant is a national program designed to strengthen the infrastructure of the food bank network across Canada. The...
kwame_boateng12 Dec 2025If the funder allows a contingency line, use it. Costs move, and a budget with no room for that becomes a series of awkward emails.View reply
Global Opportunities ImpactOpportunitySocial EnterpriseAfrica Impact Fundraising Grant (AIFG) Program 2025The Africa Impact Fundraising Grant (AIFG) Program is a new initiative by The New Africa Fund, designed to empower African NGOs, community-based organizations,...
kwame_boateng11 Dec 2025If the funder allows a contingency line, use it. Costs move, and a budget with no room for that becomes a series of awkward emails.View reply
Global Opportunities ImpactOpportunityEntrepreneurshipELISA Business Scholars Program 2026The ELISA Business Scholars Program 2026 is a premier, fully-funded, year-long initiative designed to empower and support high-potential entrepreneurs and...
kwame_boateng23 Oct 2025Ask what happens after the programme ends, and whether there is an alumni network. What you keep afterwards is a large part of what you are joining.View reply