CleanStart (2012-2017, $US 26M) aims to increase poor people's access to sustainable, low-cost clean energy supplies through microfinance. To this end, UNCDF and UNDP will jointly support 18 FSPs in six countries across Asia and Africa to provide end-user finance for clean energy systems and services to 600,000 low-income households and micro-entrepreneurs. By end of the programme, CleanStart will have supported 2.5 million people move out of energy poverty. It is envisioned that CleanStart will create a replicable business model for wider scale-up across other developing countries.

Initially, CleanStart will support three FSPs across two countries in Asia and Africa over a span of 1 year and 6 months ($US 1 M). This will enable closer collaboration with FSPs and energy suppliers, as well as on-the-ground programming experience that provide practical insights for the programme as well as relevant energy access initiatives, such as the UN Secretary General's Sustainable Energy for All Initiative. The purpose of the initiation phase is to demonstrate proof of concept, document and communicate processes and lessons learned, and establish the project support structure. The results of the initiation phase will determine the expansion of the project to the additional four countries, and beyond.