The Project Development Programme (PDP) is a regional programme in Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, commissioned and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) under the German Energy Solutions Initiative that supports German companies in creating successful and context-adaptive business partnerships in foreign markets. PDP focuses on three main topics, namely, solar/energy efficiency, green hydrogen and process heat.

Regarding the Vietnamese context, PDP provides a range of services, both for the participating German and local companies. These include: information sharing, establishing contacts, support for showcase projects and marketing, awareness-raising, and advisory services on the prevailing business conditions. In countries where there is a local infrastructure of German foreign trade promotion, e.g. the Delegate of German Industry and Commerce (AHK), PDP cooperates closely with and contributes to its energy and development expertise. This brings together the synergies, experience and networks of foreign trade promotion and development cooperation.

The project includes three modules:

Module 1

Sharing information and establishing contacts

This module aims to provide German companies with information about markets as well as to raise awareness of potential partners in the target countries about the advantages of renewable energy technologies and German products and services. It also supports bilateral business partnerships through the facilitation of contacts.

Module 2

Reference Projects and Capacity Development

This module positions German products and services in reference projects in the target countries. Activities include project identification and assessment of business opportunities, supporting the development of on-site generation projects for local industries and capacity development for local project developers via e.g. the German Training Week.

Module 3

Management of framework conditions

Investment into renewable energies need attractive legal framework conditions. Part of a targeted PDP policy advice are the preparation of analyses and policy papers for current topics, a targeted advice concerning ongoing decision processes, as well as seminars for decision-makers and their employees, participation in delegation visits as well as bilateral meetings of investors and decision-makers.