OPIC Issues Call for Proposals

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (“OPIC”) invites proposals from qualified private equity fund managers for the formation and management of one or more investment funds that will invest in sectors focused on renewable energy, resource efficiency and the preservation of scarce natural resources.  OPIC will provide financing between $35 million and $150 million for each selected fund.

OPIC has engaged Cambridge Associates, an independent investment advisor, to help evaluate proposals submitted in response to this Call for Proposals.

Fund Investment Focus
OPIC seeks to finance a diversified set of privately managed funds that will invest in renewable energy, resource efficiency, and the preservation of scarce natural resources.  Investments in the renewable energy sector could include solar thermal and solar photovoltaic, wind, hydro, tidal, geothermal, waste and biomass energy. Investments in infrastructure for agriculture, land and water might include efficient irrigation, cold storage, transportation, desalinization or other water treatment, sustainable forestry, natural resource preservation, or forest rehabilitation. These investments may be in natural resource projects, or in the companies that provide the products and services for these sectors.  In addition, funds can also invest in related energy and environmental sustainability sectors, including energy efficiency products, systems and equipment, emissions control and treatment, and waste management. Funds are expected to focus more on growth or expansion private equity investments rather than seed or early-stage technology investments, and funds’ investment strategies should not focus on carbon or other environmental credits as a primary source of revenue.

Fund Geographic Focus
Funds may be country-, regionally- or globally-oriented and make OPIC-supported investments in OPIC-eligible countries.  Some preference will be given to funds focused on OPIC priority regions (e.g., Africa, South Asia and the MENA region), but OPIC will also strongly consider qualified proposals focused on OPIC-eligible countries in other regions.

Manager Proposals are due on February 11, 2011.

For more information on Requirements, Submission and Selection Processes, please visit the OPIC site.

Specific questions can be directed to:

Eric Johnson
Cambridge Associates LLC
2730 Sand Hill Road, Suite 200
Menlo Park, CA 94025
+1-650-854-8400
www.cambridgeassociates.com