The CARICOM Policy and Regulations Help Desk
Help Desk Impact
IMPORTANT: The Pilot phase of the CARICOM Energy Policy and Regulations Help Desk concluded on June 30, 2022. View our impact here.
The CARICOM Energy Policy and Regulations Help Desk aims to provide CARICOM Member States with the required technical support to develop an enabling environment to accelerate the Sustainable Energy transition.
To realise this mandate, the CARICOM Energy Policy and Regulations Help Desk will facilitate the provision of technical assistance services for:
- The modernisation of energy policies and legislation as well as the implementation of actions/programmes consistent with national policy objectives and;
- The review or modernisation of regulatory frameworks, regulatory support and electric utility services.
We invite you to peruse a summary of the relevant information below. In this brief overview, you’ll gain further insight as to the Help Desk’s objectives, the type of technical assistance available, the eligibility criteria, as well as the application and approval processes.
If you believe we can serve you, start your application today!
Download the CARICOM Policy and Regulations Help Desk Concept Note and Application Form, now.
The CARICOM Secretariat through the Technical Assistance Programme for Sustainable Energy in the Caribbean (TAPSEC), is providing technical support to Member States for the development and modernisation of the enabling environment for sustainable energy. Support is provided through the establishment of the CARICOM Policy and Regulations Help Desk which will facilitate the provision of technical assistance services to CARICOM Member States directly, thereby contributing to the development of an effective enabling environment to support the Sustainable Energy transition of each member state.
Objectives
The objectives of the CARICOM Policy and Regulations Help Desk are to:
- Provide a facility for CARICOM Member States to submit requests for Technical Assistance under the general framework of Policy and Regulation and receive support for the preparation/finalization of Terms of Reference framework for defining technical assistance and support required
- Provide direct technical assistance for the modernisation of National Policy, Legislative and Regulatory frameworks of CARICOM Member States.
- Provide direct technical assistance to CARICOM Member States for the implementation of actions/programmes that are consistent with National Policy directives in the energy sector.
Expected Outcomes
The expected outcomes of the CARICOM Policy and Regulations Help Desk are:
- The delivery and provision of on-demand support and technical assistance to CARICOM member states and other institutions within the CARICOM Region to develop an enabling environment for sustainable energy.
- Revised or updated Policy, legislative and regulatory frameworks for CARICOM Member States.
- Support towards the implementation of programmes and actions to meet national policy objectives.
Components
The CARICOM Policy and Regulations Help Desk consists of three (3) components:
- The Oversight Committee (OC), which will provide guidance and steering on the functions of the Help Desk.
- The Application Review Facility (ARF) which will receive, review and evaluate applications for Technical Assistance under the Help Desk.
- The Expert Consulting Pool (ECP) from which consultants will be deployed to provide direct technical support to selected applicants in accordance with an estiablished Terms of Reference.
Support under the Help Desk is divided into two (2) Lots. Lot 1 provides Policy Support to institutions requesting technical assistance for the modernisation of energy policies and legislation as well as the implementation of actions/programmes consistent with national policy objectives. Lot 2 provides Regulation and Utility support to institutions requesting technical assistance for the review/modernisation of regulatory frameworks, regulation support and electric utility services. Member states and institutions requesting technical assistance for the modernisation of energy policies and legislation as well as the implementation of actions/programmes consistent with national policy objectives will submit applications under Lot 1. Member states and institutions requesting technical assistance for the review/modernisation of regulatory frameworks, regulation support and electric utility services will submit applications under Lot 2.
The CARICOM Policy and Regulations Help Desk will receive, review and evaluate requests for technical assistance from the following entities within the CARICOM Region:
LOT 1 – POLICY SUPPORT
- Ministries with responsibility for energy
- Regulatory Agencies with responsibility for energy/electricity sector
- Electric Utilities
- Regional Universities within CARICOM Member Countries
- Regional Institutions
- National Agencies/Institutions with an energy mandate within CARICOM Member Countries
- Civil Society Associations within CARICOM Member Countries
LOT 2 – REGULATION SUPPORT
- Regulatory Agencies with a mandate for energy/electricity sector regulation
- Electric Utilities
- Agencies or entities endorsed by Regulatory Agencies or Utilities to support Regulation/Utility-based activities
Treatment of Non-State Actors
All non-state actors in the categories below require a letter of non-objection from the authorities stated below. Applications from non-state actors must be accompanied by the letter of non-objection or such letter can be submitted after the application is submitted but before the completion of the evaluation process.
| NON-STATE ACTOR CATEGORY | NON-OBJECTION AUTHORITY |
| Regional e.g. regional universities and institutions | CARICOM Secretariat – Energy Unit |
| National e.g. Civil Society Associations | Electricity Sector Regulator OR
Ministry with Responsibility for Energy |
| National Utilities (Investor Owned/State Owned) | Electricity Sector Regulator OR
Ministry with Responsibility for Energy (only in cases where an independent regulator does not exist) |
On the opening of the application period, applications for technical assistance under Lot 1 (Policy Support) and Lot 2 (Regulatory/Utility Support) will be submitted by qualifying institutions to the CARICOM Policy and Regulations Help Desk. Critical information on the application process is highlighted below:
- Submission period: Once the period for submission of applications commences, the application period will remain open until all financial resources of the Help Desk have been allocated for both Lots, whichever occurs first.
- Method: Applications and supporting documentation will be submitted in PDF Format via help@caricom.org or the provided web link, accessible by the ARF.
- Template: All applications will be submitted using the provided Technical Assistance Request template, which includes the minimum information that must be submitted and instructions to applicants to guide the completion of the Technical Assistance Request. All supporting documents and information, including the required non-objection for the relevant non-state actors, as stipulated by the “Instructions to Applicants” Section in the Template must be submitted, Additional supporting documentation such as pre-established Terms of Reference or other documentation can be submitted along with the application.
- Confirmation of Receipt: On submission via help@caricom.org or web link, all applicants will receive a response confirming receipt of the submission.
Evaluation and Selection Process
Application submissions will be reviewed for completeness and evaluated by the Application Review Facility (ARF) in accordance with the evaluation criteria. Further information regarding the evaluation process is highlighted below:
- Review & Evaluation period: Applications received will be reviewed and evaluated within a 2-week period after submission and receipt of the application. After 1-week, the outcome of the evaluation will be communicated to the Oversight Committee (OC) for non-objection. After 2 weeks of submission, the applicant will be contacted if further information is required or to inform the applicant of the outcome of the application. In cases where further information is required, the applicant will submit same to the ARF. The ARF will contact the applicant via the email address and contact information provided in the submitted application.
- Evaluation criteria: All applications will be evaluated against predetermined criteria. Applications submitted under Lot 1 will be evaluated against the Lot 1 criteria and applications submitted under Lot 2 will be evaluated using the Lot 2 criteria. Further details on the evaluation criteria is provided in the section “Evaluation & Selection Criteria” below.
- Incomplete submissions: Submissions found to be incomplete and lacking pertinent information will not be evaluated by the Application Review Facility team. Efforts may be made to contact the applicant to obtain missing information, once the application period is still open, however, applying institutions must ensure that all submissions contain the minimum requested information as outlined in the Technical Assistance Request Application template.
- Additional Documentation: All supporting documents and information, including the required non-objection for the relevant non-state actors, as stipulated by the “Instructions to Applicants” Section in the Template should be submitted as far as possible to improve the quality of submissions. Additional supporting documentation such as pre-established Terms of Reference or other documentation can be submitted along with the application.
- Evaluation Outcome: Decisions on approval of applications will be made by the ARF and will require consensus among 3 of the 4 technical members. Final decisions and evaluation results will be sent to the OC for non-objection, prior to informing the applicant of the outcome of the evaluation and selection process. On approval or rejection of selected applications, applicants will be notified by the Application Review Facility (ARF) team within the stipulated timeframe.
This website was created by the Technical Assistance Programme for Sustainable Energy in the Caribbean (TAPSEC) and is maintained with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the TAPSEC and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
