Swisscontact - Swiss Foundation for Technical Cooperation, is headquartered in Zurich and was founded in 1959 by leading figures from the Swiss private sector and Swiss universities. It is exclusively involved in international cooperation and since 1961 has carried out its own and mandated projects in 41 countries worldwide.

Swisscontact is registered as an International Non-Governmental Organisation (INGO) in Bangladesh under NGO Affairs Bureau, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND AND TARGETS OF INSPIRE
Initiative to Stimulate Private Investment for Resource Efficiency (InSPIRE) is a challenge fund project that aims to support sustainable energy adoption in Bangladesh’s RMG sector by enhancing technical and financial capacity. InSPIRE is a four-year project (January 2025–December 2028) in Bangladesh, funded by the Embassy of Sweden and implemented by Swisscontact.

Despite Bangladesh’s RMG sector driving over 10% of the GDP and employing nearly four million workers, its future growth and competitiveness are at risk due to high energy consumption from unsustainable sources such as fossil fuels. Against that background, InSPIRE mobilises a blended finance instrument, where private investment is matched with a Challenge fund, to support the RMG sector for investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives. In addition to Challenge Fund support, the Challenge Fund will provide pre-investment readiness support and post-award technical assistance to strengthen the technical, social, and organizational capacity of selected enterprises.

Pre-investment support will include information sessions, application guidelines, energy audits, feasibility assessments, technical validation, and guidance on environmental, social, and gender-responsive requirements. Post-award support will focus on implementation planning, procurement and technical guidance, development of energy transition roadmaps and Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems, commissioning support, performance verification, and strategic assistance to ensure effective use of the Challenge Fund.

InSPIRE launched its Window 1 in 2025 and received a strong response from the industry. The proposals selected under Window 1 through a competitive process are currently under implementation.

To learn more about the project please visit our website: https://www.swisscontact.org/en/projects/initiative-to-stimulate-private-investment-for-resource-efficiency-inspire

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Following the implementation of Window 1, the InSPIRE Fund Management Team identified that many small and medium-sized enterprises, including subcontracting and supplier factories, continue to face significant barriers to green transition opportunities. These challenges include limited access to finance, inadequate technical capacity, robust sustainability targets, and low investment readiness. Window 2 has therefore been designed to address these constraints through a phased and tailored support mechanism.

InSPIRE invites eligible applicants to submit Expressions of Interest (EOIs), either individually or in consortium with relevant partners. Applicants are encouraged to propose impactful and scalable solutions for implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy projects within their facilities. The EOI constitutes the first stage of InSPIRE's two-stage Challenge Fund selection process. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to co-design a comprehensive full proposal, including both technical and financial components, in the second stage.

Location of the Project
Project implementation may be undertaken anywhere in Bangladesh, excluding Export Processing Zones (EPZs), as this Challenge Fund Window is designed to support factories and enterprises outside EPZs that often face greater barriers in accessing financing, technical support, and green transition opportunities.

SCOPE AND ELIGIBILITY FOR THE FUND
A. Eligible Applicants:

• Small and medium-sized RMG subcontracting and supplier factories that
• Primarily support export-oriented manufacturers.
• Have 1000 or fewer workers currently employed,
• Are not located inside EPZs, and
• Interested in demonstrating a commitment to adopting energy-efficiency measures and/or renewable-energy solutions to improve their environmental and social performance and competitiveness.
• National or international Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) with experience in designing, implementing, and financing energy efficiency or renewable energy solutions for RMG factories.
• Consortiums involving RMG & supplier factories, ESCOs, international brands, financial institutions, consultancy firms, and any energy solution providers.

Applicants must:

• Be a legally registered entity and comply with all applicable laws and regulations of Bangladesh, including labor laws and minimum wage requirements.
• Not be included in any of the Fund's exclusion categories. Details of the exclusion criteria are available at the link

• Propose innovative and sustainable energy solutions that contribute to improving energy efficiency and/or increasing the adoption of renewable energy within Bangladesh's RMG sector.
• Address key systemic barriers to green transition, including technical, financial, operational, or market-related constraints.
• Demonstrate strong technical feasibility, financial viability, and potential for replication and scale-up across the sector.
• Incorporate Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) considerations, where relevant and appropriate, to ensure equitable participation and benefits.
• Have an implementation period of at least 6 months and no more than 18 months from the date of project commencement.

• Development, testing, and implementation of technologies in energy efficiency and renewable energy at applicant factories.
• Cost of acquisition and installation of the technology essential to energy solutions.
• Energy audit, carbon accounting, feasibility study, climate action roadmap, technical assessment or validation.
• Staff orientation and training on new technology operation, GESI assessment.

• InSPIRE’s Contribution: Up to 49% of the total project cost, subject to a maximum contribution of BDT 6,000,000.00. InSPIRE's contribution is inclusive of all applicable VAT and taxes on its contribution.
• Contribution by applicant: Applicants must provide a minimum co-financing contribution of 51% of the total project cost.

• Company's legal registration documents (Certificate of Incorporation, Updated Trade License, BIN, TIN, and latest Proof of Submission of Return (PSR)).
• Proof of operational status (e.g., recent utility bill and bank solvency certificate).
• Letters of support from the partners (applicable for a consortium only).

• Recent energy audit report of the applicant's facilities.
• Energy transition roadmap or sustainability plan of the company.
• Certifications or documents demonstrating socially responsible production practices (e.g., SA8000, Fair Trade certification, environmental certifications).
• Proof (e.g., reports) of any previous projects implemented on renewable energy or energy efficiency.