About

The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) is providing support to local administrations in identifying and prioritizing a pipeline of low-carbon or climate-resilient urban infrastructure projects. This entails support for studies (pre-feasibility, studies, environmental studies, technical study, etc.) and financial structuring of projects to reach bankability); expert guidance and capacity building on local and international financing requirements and standards including potential sources for finance. It also fosters dialogue with private-sector and financial institutions.

Assistance Criteria

The CoM SSA initiative can support any of the signatory cities. For a full list, please check the website. Nevertheless, a special focus is given to the following countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Kenya, Mozambique, Mauritania, Senegal, Togo, Uganda, and Mali.

The general criteria are the following:

• Is the city proposing the project a signatory of CoM SSA or in process of joining?
• Ownership: is the project part of the city’s urban development plan and/or budget or has the city-funded studies to assess the project?
• Is the project climate-relevant?
• Is the project sector eligible for support under CoM SSA (Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency in residential and public buildings, public transport, Public Lighting Systems, Waste Management and Waste Water Treatment, Climate Adaptation and resilience?

The project can be implemented directly by the local government or through another stakeholder (private company, utility, etc.). In addition, it is important to note that several organizations provide support to local authorities in the framework of the Covenant of Mayors. Each organization may also have its own selection criteria in addition to the general criteria.

Countries

Support

The support provided to projects can vary subsequently from one project to another. It can range from one-off support to long-term accompaniment.

Application Process

There is no specific application process. A pipeline of projects is being built based on existing climate and urban plans, call for projects, Organisations own portfolios, field missions, liaison with other initiatives, and meetings with relevant stakeholders.