Infrastructure Development Company Ltd. (IDCOL), a government finance institution, has been instrumental in scaling-up electricity access through off-grid solar home systems (SHS) across Bangladesh. This public-private partnership has successfully rolled out approximately 4.1 million SHS since 2003 using innovative financial and technology packages. However the IDCOL’s SHS programme has had to modify its original design in order to adapt to changing market conditions. In recent years a fall in price of solar technology, new Government subsidies, and the extension of grid to rural areas have combined to reduce the number of SHSs being purchased through the IDCOL scheme. The Bangladesh case provides an example of a programme that successfully kick started the market for SHS, but also is a cautionary tale of an initiative that was less successful in evolving rapidly enough in response to the changing market environment.