Nigeria Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program (REEP)

USAID

2014 - 2018

The USAID-funded Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program (REEP) project in Nigeria was a four-year activity designed to support the development and financing of renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) projects and to strengthen the enabling environment for public and private sector investment in RE and EE. Under a subcontract to Winrock International, Crimson supported implementation of REEP by building financial institution capacity to finance RE and EE projects and to utilize USAID Development Credit Authority (DCA) guarantees. Through REEP, Crimson assisted 15 Banks and MFIs improve RE and EE lending skills, including providing support in loan origination / pipeline development; use of energy calculators; project finance tools; credit assessment techniques; and marketing for their consumer RE/EE loan products.

New Alliance Fast Track Facility

USAID

2013

Initially focusing on Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique and Tanzania, the New Alliance Fast Track Facility was designed to increase the number of investment‐ready market chain infrastructure projects and PPPs by defraying front‐end project development costs and risks that commercial developers or Development Finance Institutions are unable to shoulder alone. Under a subcontract to SSG Advisors, Crimson provided technical assistance in identifying and packaging a pipeline of of food-security investment projects in Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mozambique and Tanzania.

Competiveness and Trade Expansion (COMPETE) Project in Kenya

USAID

2009 - 2013

The Competiveness and Trade Expansion (COMPETE) project was issued under the GBTI II IQC. The goal of the COMPETE project was to enhance economic growth and food security in East and Central Africa (ECA) by stimulating increased trade and competitiveness. Crimson supported the efforts of COMPETE by providing expertise to promote policies and regulations that enable private sector investment and trade and by building local capital market capacity to finance infrastructure projects and trade.

Southern Africa Financial Sector Program

USAID

2008 - 2013

The Southern Africa Financial Sector Program (FSP) promoted access to financial services for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by working with financial institutions and regulatory agencies to improve and expand financial products available to SMEs and to reduce transaction costs and risks associatied with lending to SMEs. FSP also worked to improve business services avilable to SMEs and to improve the legal/regulatory environment.

Under a subcontract to Chemonics International (Chemonics), Crimson supported the efforts of FSP by working to expand access to financial services and to lower financing cost for SMEs, as well as to reform the legal and regulatory framework affecting the financial sector and business environment, thereby expanding disadvantaged entrepreneurs' access to a range of high quality and affordable financial service. For example, through FSP, Crimson advisors assisted Absa Bank develop and introduce Invoice Clearing and Vendor Finance loan products, designed specifically for the SME market and disadvantaged business owners. By the close of FS, Absa had lent out over $100 million to SMEs using these new products. Crimson also assisted Standard Bank to design, develop and launch Purchase Order Finance (POF) for SMEs, including product structuring, credit policies and procedures, pricing, marketing and training. By the close of FSP, Standard had already lent out over $10 million to SMEs in POF loans.