DRIVE
The DRIVE (Development Related Infrastructure Investment Vehicle) programme is funded by the Dutch Government and offers grants and guarantees to finance public infrastructure projects in 58 countries. Companies can take advantage of DRIVE to offer an attractive financing solution when bidding for the implementation of the public infrastructure project.
The DRIVE programme accepts applications on a rolling basis.
The programme provides grants, guarantees and loans for public infrastructure projects with budgets ranging from €5 million to €60 million. It is predominantly a grant programme and, depending on the status of the respective country, can subsidise between 15% and 50% of an investment including financing costs. The grant can be complemented by a guarantee from DRIVE on the strength of which a loan may be acquired to finance the remainder of the project costs.
DRIVE projects need to contribute to private sector development and are preferably related to the areas of water, climate, food security and/or sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Projects should be implemented in one of the countries included in the DRIVE country list. Refer to the world map below for a visual view of the eligible countries.
- Africa: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, Djibouti, DRC, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinee, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tomé en Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia
- Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Laos, Lebanon, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestinian territories, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam
- Latin America: Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, Haiti, Nicaragua and Peru
- Europe: Armenia, Georgia, Kosovo and Moldavia
A special feature of the programme is that the applicant must be a private company or a consortium of companies. Because public infrastructure projects are publicly funded and owned, a competitive bidding procedure will normally be required. The successful DRIVE applicant can include a DRIVE supported financing package in its bid, which can give that company a decisive competitive edge.
Before a company can apply for DRIVE financing a number of prerequisites need to be squared off:
- The government on the recipient country must be fully supportive of the proposed project
- It must be clear how the full project budget will be funded
- The feasibility of the project must be demonstrated, including its environmental and social impacts
- It is important that, at the time of applying for DRIVE financing, the public tender for the project has not yet been announced
The application procedure follows a three-staged procedure:
- Stage one: quick scan (strongly advised but not obligatory)
- Stage two: intake
- Stage three: official application
Why work with Advance Consulting?
The development of a DRIVE funded project is complex and time-consuming, but Advance Consulting can help. We can facilitate the process until the project is funded but, if needed, can also give support during the project’s implementation. Our assistance may comprise all or a combination of the following services:
- We prepare, in close cooperation with you as our client, all documents required for the DRIVE application. This includes the quick scan, the intake and the application.
- We prepare supporting documents for establishing potential partnerships. This includes all plans, pitches, or presentations for bringing other parties on board and for setting up arrangements and contracts for further cooperation.
- We give advice on and provide coordination for all matters relating to the application. This includes liaisons with local (government) institutions, the donor (RVO), other financers as well as support for an eventual partnership. Insofar necessary, we will visit the proposed project location at our own expense.
- We help in arranging complementary sources of financing if so required.
- We can prepare, when needed with external technical specialists, the feasibility study to demonstrate the technical, social, environmental, institutional, political and financial viability of the project.
- We can assist in the project’s implementation by providing management support. This entails, in particular, the management of the project’s relations with the donor and other stakeholders.
We can help you in accessing DRIVE financing on a ‘no cure, no fee’ basis. We have delivered on this in the past and have shown perseverance and creativity, a flexible attitude and political sensitivity. We have supported over 300 companies to arrange finance for investments in developing countries, have experience in a wide range of sectors and have an extensive network with access to local public institutions. Please contact info@advanceconsulting.nl for more information on DRIVE requirements, for an assessment whether your project idea will qualify for DRIVE or for more information on our services.
A visual view of the eligible countries for the DRIVE programme.