Education Cannot Wait (ECW), through its Acceleration Facility (AF), has launched a new Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking qualified organizations, project developers and technical service providers to design and implement an innovative pilot programme in Ethiopia.
The initiative will explore how school-based clean cooking solutions can generate high-quality carbon credits and unlock new climate finance for education.
With international development assistance declining and the need for sustainable education financing growing, the pilot aims to demonstrate how carbon finance can complement traditional education funding while supporting climate action and healthier learning environments.
About the Opportunity
The proposed two-year pilot will combine clean cooking solutions in schools with carbon finance.
Ethiopia presents a significant opportunity for this initiative. Around 90% of the country’s population still lacks access to clean cooking solutions, while the national school feeding programme is expected to reach approximately 21 million children by 2027.
Schools therefore provide an important platform for deploying clean cooking technologies at scale.
The pilot will examine how these solutions can contribute to stronger education systems while generating measurable climate and social benefits.
What Will the Selected Partner Do?
The selected partner will be responsible for designing and implementing the pilot programme and supporting the development of a model that could eventually be scaled.
Key responsibilities include:
- Conducting feasibility assessments and designing the pilot.
- Deploying and implementing clean cooking solutions in selected schools.
- Establishing a robust Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) framework.
- Generating high-quality carbon credits under internationally recognized standards.
- Measuring the climate and education-related benefits of the intervention.
- Producing evidence and learning from the pilot.
- Exploring opportunities to scale the initiative and mobilize larger amounts of climate finance for education.
Three-Phase Pilot
The two-year pilot will be implemented in three phases.
Phase 1: Feasibility and Pilot Design
The first phase will assess feasibility and develop the design for the clean cooking and carbon finance pilot.
Phase 2: Pilot Implementation
The selected partner will implement the clean cooking intervention in participating schools.
Phase 3: Carbon Credit Generation and Learning
The programme will focus on generating carbon credits, documenting results and producing lessons that can inform future climate financing for education.
Subject to successful completion of these phases, ECW intends to explore scaling the initiative to additional schools and its potential to mobilize larger-scale climate finance in Ethiopia and beyond.
Why Clean Cooking in Schools?
Schools offer a strategic opportunity for testing clean cooking solutions because they can:
- Operate at scale.
- Have measurable and consistent fuel consumption patterns.
- Enable centralized monitoring and verification.
- Serve as community demonstration sites.
- Improve air quality and learning environments.
- Support more sustainable school feeding systems.
- Create opportunities for generating high-quality carbon credits.
The initiative therefore connects climate action, education, school feeding and innovative finance within one intervention.
Who Can Apply?
ECW is inviting proposals from qualified:
- Organizations
- Project developers
- Technical service providers
Applicants should carefully review the official Request for Proposal and submission documents to determine whether they meet the required technical, organizational and implementation criteria.
Application Requirements
Applicants are required to submit two PDF documents:
- Narrative Proposal
- Results Framework
Shortlisted partners will subsequently be asked to submit their proposed approach using additional ECW formats.
Proposal Language: English
Applicants should follow the requirements and templates provided in the official RFP documentation.
Important Deadlines
Queries Deadline: 21 August 2026 at 23:59 CET
Proposal Submission Deadline: 25 September 2026 at 23:59 CET
All proposals must be submitted electronically according to the instructions provided by Education Cannot Wait.
How to Apply
Interested organizations and service providers should download and carefully review the official submission documents before preparing their proposals.
Submit Proposals and Queries: rfp@un-ecw.org
Application Materials:
- Request for Proposal (RFP)
- Narrative Proposal Template
- Results Framework Template
Learn More and Access the Application Package:
Education Cannot Wait – Clean Cooking & Climate Finance RFP
Why This Opportunity Matters
This RFP represents an innovative approach to addressing two interconnected challenges: the need for greater climate action and the growing need for sustainable financing for education.
By testing clean cooking solutions in schools and connecting them with carbon finance, the initiative aims to demonstrate how climate-related financing can help strengthen education systems while delivering environmental and community benefits.
The evidence generated through the pilot could also help inform future approaches to climate finance for education in Ethiopia and other contexts.
Conclusion
The Education Cannot Wait Clean Cooking and Climate Finance RFP 2026 provides qualified organizations, project developers and technical service providers with an opportunity to design and implement an innovative climate-finance pilot in Ethiopia.
The initiative seeks to demonstrate how clean cooking in schools can improve learning environments, support school feeding systems, reduce environmental pressures and generate high-quality carbon credits that can unlock additional financing for education.
Organizations with relevant expertise are encouraged to review the official RFP and prepare their submissions ahead of the 25 September 2026 deadline.
Discover more opportunities like this on the OFY Webpage.
