Establishing Collaborative Frameworks
for Researchers, Impact Makers, and
Sustainable Entrepreneurs
Establishing Collaborative Frameworks for Researchers, Impact Makers, and Sustainable Entrepreneurs
Microfinance Institutions, NGOs, Cooperatives, & Technology Providers
In the framework of IMPACT-R, organizations with a strong social mission working in developing countries (microfinance institutions, cooperatives, NGOs, and energy and water technology suppliers) can apply for financial support to conduct household data collection studies. The purpose of the studies is to investigate the nexus between access to energy, access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and food security, through a detailed needs/market assessment at the household level. The first call closed in February 2021. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive information about future opportunities.
Stay informedClean & Affordable
Energy (SDG7)
Clean Water, Sanitation,
& Hygiene (SDG6)
Food Security
(SDG2)
Understanding the needs of the population, beyond national statistics or studies focusing on population samples, is crucial to achieving sustainable development without leaving anyone behind. Despite the growing awareness of sustainable development topics, the monitoring of progress at the household level remains a major challenge for the research, public, and private (investors, NGOs, financial institutions, and small and medium enterprises) sectors.
Get Involved
Clean & Affordable
Energy (SDG7)
Clean Water, Sanitation,
& Hygiene (SDG6)
Food Security
(SDG2)
The first goal of the project will be to establish a network of stakeholders, building upon existing partnerships (with academia and industry in Europe, Africa, and South America), in order to get an overview of the research needs of institutions operating in the field and identify possible nexuses among actors. Second, available databases related to energy, water, and sanitation (supply, services, & consumption) at the national and international levels will be evaluated.
Exploiting available data sources and innovative data acquisition technologies and fostering close interaction between researchers and practitioners, the second phase will tackle research questions-relating access to energy with access to water and sanitation-that can be translated into concrete recommendations and solutions for organizations working with vulnerable populations.
Based on the research results, the potential for digital tools to measure energy access for productive uses, as well as their application in the combined assessment of access to energy and water & sanitation, will be evaluated.
These topics will be studied in the framework of data collection projects involving institutions working in rural regions (microfinance institutions, cooperatives, NGOS, and suppliers) in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.
In parallel with the data collection projects, IMPACT-R will offer scholarships for desk research, with the aim of validating standard assessment methodologies and analyzing the role of financial institutions in improving people's quality of life.
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The research will focus on the nexus between access to energy, access to clean water and sanitation, and food security, at the level of both households and microenterprises (productive uses). One of the main objectives of the research will be to propose - and field test - assessment methodologies for measuring the impact of modern credit mechanisms for financing clean energy technologies (green loans) and clean water solutions (water credits). To this end, the relationships between existing frameworks for the assessment of energy access (at the household level and for productive use) and access to WASH (at the household and community levels) will be investigated. The latest digital tools for data collection, assessment, and long-term monitoring will be employed, with support from HEDERA.
A series of online events will be organized to connect different institutions and introduce the latest assessment tools, from the perspective of both practitioners and researchers. In addition, several webinars will be organized in collaboration with international partner institutions, focusing on the role of financial service providers in the achievement of sustainable development.
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