Swiss startups tap into new CHF 500k REPIC Rollout grants

REPIC (Renewable Energy, Energy and Resource Efficiency Promotion in Developing and Transition Countries) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, reflecting on its positive impact in promoting sustainable development worldwide by supporting startups in their pilot and early commercialization phase. Since its inception in 2004, REPIC has been a driving force in supporting innovative projects through its Pilot program, awarding over 200 grants totaling more than CHF 20 million, with individual grants reaching up to CHF 150,000. The year 2023 saw REPIC approve 12 diverse projects under the Pilot instrument across its three core areas: 3 in renewable energy, 4 in energy efficiency, and 5 in resource efficiency.

In 2022, REPIC launched its Rollout instrument, offering larger grants of up to CHF 500,000 to scale up pilot projects, amplifying its commitment to fostering long-term, impactful solutions in developing and transition countries. Three projects led by Swiss startups became the first REPIC Rollout projects:

• Sustain Switzerland, Rollout Tanzania – focuses on supporting sustainable aquaculture ventures in East Africa. The company has experience in the establishment of remote fish farming facilities with integrated solar power systems.

• Openversum, Rollout Colombia – is implementing a scalable micro-franchise model that provides local entrepreneurs, especially women, with the tools and know-how to assemble, sell and maintain state-of-the-art drinking water filters in emerging regions. The startup is currently setting up a local production line with a local partner in Medellín, Colombia, to be able to produce higher quantities and thus reduce production costs.

• Subasol (formerly ASG International), Rollout Cameroon and Ghana – is a Swiss company that focuses on developing, manufacturing, and distributing sustainable (salt) battery storage systems tailored for photovoltaic (PV) installations in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Outlook for 2025 and beyond
REPIC is currently in phase 6.2, which runs from Q2/2024 to Q2/2026. Phase 7 is expected to commence afterward, to continue to support sustainable development projects that involve knowledge and/or technology transfer from Switzerland. Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, REPIC aims to steadily increase the number of projects supported, though this growth is contingent on the availability of suitable projects. The platform is also expanding its resource efficiency field to include water projects as of 2024. According to Dimitri Lenzin, Deputy Coordinator at REPIC, the platform has the financial capacity to support additional initiatives and expand further.

Startups interested in applying for grants, REPIC offers four submission deadlines annually, with the next deadline set for December 9, 2024. Projects that are eligible for the grants must be held in a developing or transition country, as defined in the DAC list of ODA recipients. This ensures that REPIC's support reaches areas where it can have the most significant impact.

Annual event celebrating 20 years
To commemorate its 20-year milestone, REPIC will host its Annual Event on November 28, 2024, titled "20 Years of Successful Projects in International Cooperation." The event takes place at the Eventforum in Bern with a panel discussion reflecting on two decades of successful project implementation followed by the introduction of more than 10 support programs. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with programs such as EEP Africa, Technology Fund, SECO Start-up Fund, Switzerland Global Enterprise S-GE, Swissnex and more. In the afternoon, individual projects will take the stage to present their achievements and solutions. Registration is open.

(RAN)