Concept Note

Project Title:
Vital Illumination – Phase 1: Planning Resilient Renewable Energy Systems for Cuban Hospitals

Applicant Organization:
Vital Illumination (Canada-based NGO)
vitalillumination.org | contact@vitalillumination.org

Geographic Focus:
Santiago de Cuba, Cuba

Funding Requested:
CAD $75,000

Project Duration:
6 months

Summary:
Vital Illumination seeks seed funding to initiate the planning and technical groundwork for implementing renewable energy microgrids in four critical public hospitals in Santiago de Cuba. Frequent and extended blackouts in the region jeopardize essential health services, including emergency surgeries, neonatal care, and oxygen supply systems.

This Phase 1 project will produce detailed feasibility studies, site-specific energy assessments, and initial technical designs for hybrid solar + storage systems capable of sustaining vital hospital operations during outages. The project will also formalize partnerships with Cuban institutions and develop a scalable implementation roadmap.

By delivering a transparent, data-driven plan, this initiative lays the foundation for a full deployment phase, with the ultimate goal of providing continuous, clean power to over 500,000 people relying on these hospitals.

Objectives:

• Assess the energy needs and infrastructure of 4 target hospitals

• Design technical blueprints for renewable microgrid systems

• Establish formal collaboration with local health authorities and institutions

• Develop a risk-managed implementation plan and donor engagement strategy

Expected Results:

• Feasibility reports and energy audits for each hospital

• Preliminary engineering designs and system specs

• Signed partnership agreements or letters of intent from Cuban stakeholders

• A replicable project framework for use in other high-risk regions

Target Beneficiaries:

• Direct: 4 hospitals (~10,000 patients/month; ~500 staff)

• Indirect: Population of Santiago de Cuba (~500,000 residents)

Sustainability & Gender Inclusion:
This project prioritizes local engagement and capacity building to ensure long-term sustainability of the energy systems. Gender inclusion is not an add-on but central to the project's impact: one of the four target facilities is Santiago de Cuba’s primary maternity hospital, Hospital Materno Sur, where power interruptions directly threaten maternal and neonatal care. Women will be involved not only as beneficiaries, but as participants in system design, stakeholder planning, and training. The project will emphasize inclusive decision-making processes and empower female health workers, administrators, and community members in energy resilience efforts.

Contact:
Brad Bastow
Executive Director
brad@vitalillumination.org
709.769.9052
vitalillumination.org

📊 Vital Illumination – Phase 1 Budget (CAD)

Estimated Cost (CAD)Technical Feasibility Studies
Site assessments, energy audits, load analysis, solar resource modeling
$20,000

Preliminary System Design & Cost Estimation
Engineering layout, equipment specs, procurement strategy, budgeting
$15,000

Local Partner Engagement & Field Coordination
MoUs, stakeholder meetings, on-ground liaison, honoraria for Cuban collaborators
$10,000

Project Management & Reporting

Oversight, timeline tracking, reporting, risk framework
$10,000

Outreach & Documentation
Storytelling assets, photos/interviews, social media, translation, print
$7,500

Gender Inclusion & Capacity Planning
Workshops, inclusion strategy, stakeholder engagement, draft training materials
$7,500

Contingency / Buffer (~7%)
Surprise costs, bureaucratic pain, logistical scrambling
$5,000

Total $75,000