African Energy Research funds research only when it can become a saleable product, licensable asset, scalable venture, contract-backed service, investable energy project, and when AER has a defined route to receive cash returns or equity value.

 

The core idea

The African Energy Research Funding Grant operates as a commercialization investment programme. That means academic quality matters, but on its own it isn't enough. We're looking for research that turns into something with a buyer.

 

Five Questions Every Application Must Answer

  • Who has the problem, and who has authority and budget to pay for the solution?

  • What commercial asset will exist at the end of the funded work?

  • How quickly can that asset reach a paid pilot and repeatable revenue?

  • Why will customers choose it, and why will competitors struggle to copy it?

  • What will AER own, control, or receive when the project succeeds?

 

Submission Requirements

  • Commercial thesis. One page stating the customer, costly problem, proposed product, price logic, first route to market, time to paid pilot and AER return route.

  • Research and technical plan. Hypothesis, method, current evidence, benchmark, TRL, target TRL, work packages, facilities and objective acceptance tests.

  • Customer evidence. Interview log, letters, pilot interest, pre-orders, procurement evidence or other records supporting demand and willingness to pay.

  • Market and competition. Bottom-up beachhead market, expansion markets, alternatives, competitor comparison, switching barriers and adoption risks.

  • Commercial model. Offer, buyer, pricing, channel, gross margin, capital needs, 24-month milestones and base, downside and upside cases.

  • AER value-capture proposal. Preferred structure, rights offered, projected AER cash flows or equity value, expected timing and sensitivity.

  • IP and data disclosure. Inventors, employers, institutions, prior funders, background IP, third-party IP, publications, code, data permissions and restrictions.

  • Team and governance. CVs, roles, time commitments, technical lead, commercial lead, missing capabilities, conflicts and references.

  • Milestone budget. Use of funds by work package, tranche, procurement, co-funding, in-kind support and the precise value-creating milestone purchased by AER capital.

  • Risk register. Technical, customer, market, regulatory, safety, environmental, IP, data, team, financing and execution risks, each with owner, mitigation and trigger.

 

Mandatory First-Pass Investment Gates

Before we score anything, every submission is checked against nine pass/fail gates.

Gate

Test

Pass Standard

G1

AER Scope

The project sits within an approved AER energy domain and creates a capability, asset or market position relevant to AER.

G2

Buyer and Problem 

A specific customer segment, decision maker and budget owner are identified. The problem is material, recurring and costly enough to justify payment.

G3

Productisable Output 

The funded work ends in a definable product, licence, venture, contract-backed service or bankable project package, not only a publication.

G4

Time to Market 

A paid pilot is feasible within 12 months and repeatable revenue within 18 months. A maximum 24-month exception requires industry sponsorship or at least 1:1 external co-funding.

G5

AER Value Capture

The applicant accepts a commercially meaningful route for AER to receive repayment, revenue share, royalty, equity, fees, carry or licence value.

G6

Technical Credibility 

The hypothesis, method, data, benchmark and workplan are coherent, testable and capable of independent verification.

G7

Rights and Freedom 

Background IP, project IP, data permissions and third-party rights are disclosed, and a viable path exists for AER to commercialise the output.

G8

Responsible deployment 

No unresolved legal, safety, environmental, ethical, regulatory, sanctions, cybersecurity or critical-infrastructure risk makes the project unsuitable.

G9

Execution and Milestone Fit

A capable technical lead and accountable commercial lead are committed, and the requested capital reaches a value-creating milestone.

 

Preferred research formats

  • Applied research linked to a defined product specification or customer decision.

  • Research commissioned or supported by a prospective customer, operator, regulator, financier or industry partner.

  • Research that can be converted into recurring data, software, licensing or subscription revenue.

  • Technology validation that advances a prototype into an operational pilot.

  • Bankability research that originates a financeable energy project and gives AER a development role or economic interest.

  • Research that can begin as a high-value service but contains a credible plan to standardise, automate and scale the delivery model.

 

Conclusion 

At AER, research funding is ultimately about reducing uncertainty and unlocking opportunity. We are interested in work that can move an energy proposition closer to commercial viability. The strongest applications therefore connect rigorous analysis with a clear commercial pathway, demonstrating from the outset how the research can influence decisions, reduce risk and create investable value.