Launch of the USAID Mongolia Energy Research and Innovation (MERI) Fund

MERI Fund launch

Abt Associates, institutional contractor for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)Mongolia Energy Governance Activity, today launched the USAID Mongolia Energy Research and Innovation (MERI) Fund; a small grants program to bolster Mongolia’s economic growth by facilitating the transition to clean energy.  

The grant program is part of USAID’s five-year, $12 million Mongolia Energy Governance project, which is assisting Mongolia in developing a more resilient and sustainable energy sector. Through the project, USAID is working with key government and private sector partners to develop a more competitive and financially sustainable energy sector that will increase economic competitiveness, create a more stable and secure domestic energy supply, and develop more renewable energy projects.  

“The U.S. government is pleased to provide these funding opportunities that will help build a robust energy sector ecosystem, strengthen the institutional and human capacity of Mongolian organizations, and develop the necessary tools to facilitate the energy sector transition,” USAID Deputy Development Advisor Steve Winkates said at the launch event. 

Through the grant program, USAID will provide grants to eligible think tanks, consulting firms, non-governmental organizations, private companies, research institutions, and other relevant organizations to implement interventions to support energy sector transition.

USAID has a long history of working with Mongolia’s energy sector. USAID’s first program in the early 1990s provided emergency assistance to repair one of Ulaanbaatar’s key power plants to avoid the possibility of a catastrophic shut-down during the winter months. USAID also helped develop energy laws that enabled further development of the market and assisted in the establishment of the Energy Regulatory Authority (now the Energy Regulatory Commission).  

For more information about the MERI Fund, please contact Abt Associates, USAID’s implementing partner, at Grants_Mongolia@abtassoc.com.