Meaningful participation of civil society is key to the success of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative. Civil society organizations can act as trusted intermediaries between government, the private sector, and energy users on the ground, as well as having expertise in designing and delivering energy services, particularly for poor and vulnerable groups. The aim of this paper is to provide a ‘snapshot’ of the civil society experience of SE4ALL to date in order to understand the entry points for – and some of the challenges – of participation.