Up-Scaling RWH through the Private Sector implementing TA to create private service providers and develop finance products Scaling up rainwater harvesting and other WASH services requires the private sector and sustainable financing. SmartPaani, will provide technical assistance to Nepal WASH Alliance partners to train the private sector, develop sustainable finance products, and proof of concept for affordable and earthquake resistant water tanks. Nepal’s access to water and sanitation is improving, however there are still significant gaps to fill. One of of the key issues is the involvement of private sector service providers to support and promote upscaling, as governmental and non-governmental organizations alone are too dependent on subsidies. Over the past year (2014-2015), SmartPaani worked with RAIN and Simavi to increase the number of service providers across Nepal. 4 Urban Nodal Point franchises were equipped with business and technical training on urban rainwater harvesting, large biosand filters, small household water treatment (BSF and Tripti Filters) and wastewater treatment promotion. 
The next step is to work more actively with WASH NGO’s on expanding WASH service provision through and with the private sector into their projects and programs. For this, SmartPaani proposes to work with the Nepal WASH Alliance and in specific with NEWAH and BSP, RAIN partners, to build their capacities on private sector involvement Objective #1 – Increased involvement and capacity of the private sector in WASH service delivery, especially rainwater harvesting
• Develop new and adapt existing, with RAIN partners, training packages for them to involve the private sector in WASH service delivery
• “Business Model” focus group discussions with RAIN partners to receive feedback and increase understanding to contribute to future scalability of private sector involvement. These will sandwich around the trainings below to create an atmosphere for understanding and development of strategy. A focus group format is necessary to establish a baseline, develop capacity, network, bring learning into action, and reflect on lessons-learned for future strategy development. 
o 3-4 meetings to this effect. At least 3 with Newah and 1 with BSP.
 1 – Previous experience with business development (baseline)
 2 – Focus on developing and adapting existing training modules
 3 – Training module feedback based on local experience (output)
• Provide custom trainings to RAIN partners’, particularly Newah and BSP’s, identified “entrepreneurs” in their working area. This will build on the technical capacity and rural experience of Newah and the previous experience of SmartPaani in developing Urban Nodal Point franchisees. 
o Marketing Training
o Basic Financial and Business Trainings to maintain financial records and understand simple business processes to set goals, track progress and understand the viability of their enterprises.
o Orientation to entrepreneurship and what is different between that and only just being a service provider, use synthesized learnings from above focus group discussions and parallel trainings to NWA to inform these.
• Strategy meeting in 2016 end (November), to develop a strategy for 2017 onward for upscaling, funding and financing with RAIN partners and where needed all NWA members. The goals of these meeting will be to reflect on private sector involvement and to make a plan to scale for the next period, especially fundraising and creation of sustainable finance products to upscale all WASH services (replicate the learning of this project with RWH) 
Objective #2 – Development, Improvement of Sustainable Finance Prouducts for Rainwater Harvesting
• Work with financial institutions to develop sustainable WASH financing services, especially around rainwater harvesting (3R). 
o Conduct a series of meetings with the institutions
o Field visits to demonstrate the feasibility of the concept and the financial viability of the systems, along with the “client’s” actual experiences so the institutions are convinced of the benefits of the “product/service”.
Objective #3 - Proof of concept for a flexible, cost-effective, earthquake-resistant water storage tank, RainCAP
• Provide orientation on the benefits of and a technical training to Newah and BSP on RainCAP storage tanks and local building techniques (earth-brick)
Provide 20 household level (10 m3) RainCAP storage tanks to Newah working areas in Gorkha for installation. Make also available for BSP working areas, to use as replacement for their current stone masonry tanks if they prove more cost-effective. The overall objective of this project is to increase the involvement of the private sector in rainwater harvesting service provision. This will be done through business development trainings to Newah and their local masons, development of rainwater harvesting finance product with finance agencies, and the introduction cost-effective, earthquake resistant, storage technologies (RainCAP). Technical assistance for the development of finance products for WASH Services such as 3R, community water supply and public toilets Coordination with RAIN Partners and other NWA members to work with the GoN to provide policy support to upscale WASH by involving the private sector Rainwater harvesting, properly done, by default promotes sustainability. It uses local or easily transported materials to store water for on-site use and reuse (3R). This reduces the impact of moving other water from distant sources and the 3R approach of this makes sure water is used efficiently. This project will focus on developing a business model; one of the key components of a business model are sound technologies for rainwater harvesting like RAIN Cap. Since the project also focuses on sustainable finance (above) a requirement for that are technically sound products. RainCAP is light, durable, easily transported and uses local materials for the structure. SmartPaani will focus on inclusive business development. The finance will be accessible to the majority of the population, while where possible/applicable women will be involved also. Inclusive practices and targeting (caste/ethnicity) will be encouraged to avoid social group exclusion. The target groups in this project are the Nepal WASH Alliance members.. The project will involve the following target groups specifically:
• RAIN Partners (Newah, BSP) through business development trainings and trainings to their user groups
• Local-level users through business development trainings and provision of new, alternative storage technologies (RainCAP)
• Local technicians (masons, plumbers) – this will be through business development training, technical training on RainCAP, and future business support of additional WASH services (parallel SP business model, SP own contribution)
• Future – local level users, through bite-size financing products that provide them with rainwater harvesting at affordable monthly fees that are less than their current costs or future benefits (i.e. water transport costs/time or revenue from off-season farming) Financial sustainability : Technical assistance for the development of finance products for WASH Services such as 3R, community water supply and public toilets
Institutional sustainability : Coordination with RAIN Partners and other NWA members to work with the GoN to provide policy support to upscale WASH by involving the private sector
Environmental sustainability : Rainwater harvesting, properly done, by default promotes sustainability. It uses local or easily transported materials to store water for on-site use and reuse (3R). This reduces the impact of moving other water from distant sources and the 3R approach of this makes sure water is used efficiently.
Technical sustainability : This project will focus on developing a business model; one of the key components of a business model are sound technologies for rainwater harvesting like RAIN Cap. Since the project also focuses on sustainable finance (above) a requirement for that are technically sound products. RainCAP is light, durable, easily transported and uses local materials for the structure.
Social sustainability : SmartPaani will focus on inclusive business development. The finance will be accessible to the majority of the population, while where possible/applicable women will be involved also. Inclusive practices and targeting (caste/ethnicity) will be encouraged to avoid social group exclusion. 3 Trained Entrepreneurs with Business Model Development for rainwater harvesting and WASH 1 Sustainable Finance Concepts Developed with Planned Pilots for 2017 onward Piloting of 20 RainCAP tanks at the household and school level Private Sector Engagement Strategies from current RAIN Foundation partners for 2017 onward Private Sector delivery of WASH services policy strategy framework from the DWSS 9 CAP Scaling up rainwater harvesting and other WASH services requires the private sector and sustainable financing. SmartPaani, will provide technical assistance to Nepal WASH Alliance partners to train the private sector, develop sustainable finance products, and proof of concept for affordable and earthquake resistant water tanks.
The combination of private sector, sustainable finance, and affordable products will help develop a scale up strategy for 2017-2020. INT,IMP F,I,T BDEV