COMESA Advisory Support Facility (ASF)
Purpose
The Advisory Support Facility is a COMESA-led mechanism that helps Member States accelerate access to sustainable and clean energy. It delivers tailored, demand-driven technical assistance, expert advisory services, and capacity-building support to strengthen national and regional implementation efforts.
How ASF Works
COMESA circulates a short Technical Assistance (TA) request form to Member States.
Requests are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Each approved request is matched with a pre-qualified TA provider under existing framework agreements.
COMESA issues a call-off contract and mobilizes the provider.
TA delivery includes continuous knowledge sharing and capacity building across countries.
Priority Areas of Support:
Planning & Policy Frameworks
- Preparation, updating, and operationalization of national energy policies, strategies, and plans
- Model policies and regulations and support for their implementation
- Harmonization of technical and quality standards
- Preparation of investment prospectuses and roadmaps and support for investor convenings
Geospatial Planning for Universal Energy Access
ASF helps countries design least-cost national electrification strategies using advanced geospatial tools. These tools identify where grid, mini-grid, or standalone systems are most cost-effective.
Key Platforms
Global Electrification Platform (GEP)
- Open-access tool modeling least-cost electrification pathways
- Provides investment needs, technology mix, and capacity requirements
- Covers 58 high-access-deficit countries
- Supports planning toward universal access by 2030
Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) Atlas
- Settlement-level geospatial data for 58 countries
- Identifies communities suitable for mini-grids and standalone systems
- Supports DRE investment planning and productive-use opportunities
Multi-Tier Framework (MTF) Survey Support
Purpose
- Measures real energy access (Tier 0–5)
- Tracks progress toward SDG7 and Mission 300
What ASF Supports
- Procurement: Recruitment of survey firm using COMESA–ESMAP TORs & tools
- Survey Preparation: Sampling with NSO, questionnaire adaptation, enumerator training
- Data Collection: Oversight of fieldwork and quality assurance
- Analysis & Reporting: Tier analysis, national MTF report, dissemination
- Capacity Building: Strengthening institutions to monitor and use MTF data
Productive Uses of Energy (PUE)
- Policy & Regulation: National strategies and frameworks
- Financing Models: Smart subsidies & credit guarantees
- Standards & Data: Quality standards & open data systems
- Market Analysis: Identify opportunities & demand
- Social Inclusion: Gender- and youth-inclusive programs
Clean Cooking
- Quality & Standards: Testing, certification, carbon-credit alignment
- Market Assessment: Market sizing, willingness-to-pay, viability gaps
- Policy & Incentives: Fiscal/tax incentives and enabling regulations
- Awareness: Media + community behavior-change campaigns
- Results-Based Finance: RBF instrument design & subsidy estimation
Carbon Asset Generation & Monetization
- Data & Assessments: Baseline data collection, surveys, and technical assessments (including digital monitoring options)
- Project Documentation: Support developing carbon project documents for registration and country approval
- Validation & Verification: Independent third-party validation and verification of emission reductions
- Market Analysis & Advisory: Demand, pricing, regulatory assessments, and monetization guidance
- Capacity Building: Training and TA for stakeholders and policy decision-making
How Countries Request Support
Member States can request technical assistance by completing a short ASF Technical Assistance Request Form and submitting it to COMESA’s Energy Unit.
Email:
ascentproject@comesa.int
Learn More
Download the ASF presentation deck to explore the model, process, and examples of support in detail.
