About
British International Investment (BII) is the development finance institution of the UK government (FCDO), established in 1948.
Project Focus
Shell Foundation has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with BII to jointly support the just and inclusive energy transition in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Through the MoU, the institutions will provide investment to help address finance barriers that exist for early to mid-stage businesses in sectors aligned with BII’s strategic priorities and Shell Foundation’s charitable objectives.
The MoU complements Shell Foundation’s long-term co-funding partnership with the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO – the sole shareholder of BII), which provides early-stage and high-risk grant funding through the Transforming Energy Access (TEA) platform, and the Catalysing Agriculture by Scaling Energy Ecosystems (CASEE) programme.
Insights and impact
Latest news and updates
FCDO
Fostering Innovation
Smallholder Farmers
East Africa
Post-Harvest Processing
How solar irrigation is transforming the lives of smallholder farmers in Kenya – lessons and the road ahead
Solar-powered irrigation is helping smallholder farmers in Kenya build resilience to climate shocks, improve nutrition, and reduce post-harvest losses.
28th January 2026
FCDO
Fostering Innovation
Micro-Entrepreneurs
East Africa
Cold Storage
Building climate change resilience: The impact of cold chain adoption for Lake Turkana’s fishers
Cold chain adoption helps Lake Turkana fishers reduce spoilage, increase incomes, and build resilience to climate change.
09th December 2025