​As part of IRENA's objective to sustain and facilitate the spread of renewable energy technologies, IRENA has implemented a virtual market place for renewable energy projects.

 The Sustainable Energy Marketplace is a free platform, for project owners, governments, financiers, and service and technology providers to help develop and drive investments to new renewable energy projects.

The objective of the virtual market place is to accelerate the scale-up of investments – both public and private – to promote initiation, development and financing of low-carbon renewable energy projects by bringing together project owners, governments, financiers, and service and technology providers. It makes investment opportunities visible and easily identifiable for investors and helps project developers to identify relevant funding sources and expertise.

 The virtual market place will bring together project owners, governments, financiers, and service/technology providers to:

• search for information of interest like projects with certain investment criteria, financing sources, or advisors according to specific needs of a project;
• find information about and contact relevant entities, projects or financing instruments;
• create a virtual data room to organize and share confidential information with selected financiers, advisors, etc.;
• communicate directly with IRENA on specific needs and interests;
• access project development tools and data on markets, regulations and incentives.

How does it work?

 Market stakeholders – project owners, financiers and service/technology providers – can register by submitting the required information on themselves and:

• search efficiently for information such as projects by the specific criteria for an investor, by financing sources or by advisors according to specific needs of a project;
• find more information easily about the most relevant entities, projects or financing instruments and their contact information;
• create a virtual data room to organize and share confidential information with selected financiers, advisors, etc.;
• communicate directly with IRENA on specific needs and interests;
• access project development tools and data on markets, regulations and incentives.

IRENA will assess the most promising projects in more detail and cooperate closely with international financing institutions, donors, private sector advisors and service providers to actively facilitate the market. This will include:

• Project assessments to evaluate the topical needs of a project
• Active facilitation of project development, and matching with financing and expertise according to identified needs
• Tools for project development and data on markets, regulations and incentives including:
• Project Navigator
• REsource

Project owners will be able to access various financial instruments by many types of investors including: development finance institutions, private companies, utilities, private equity funds, donor and multi-donor facilities, commercial banks and more. Furthermore, through the market place they will have access to different advisory services and technologies.