UNCDF: Agri-MSME Challenge Fund in Papua New Guinea

Deadline: 25-Oct-21

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is looking for partners such as agritech, fintech, supply chain financing, mobile money providers, and other firms to bring forward inclusive solutions to promote the use of innovations among Agriculture Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (Agri-MSME) in Papua New Guinea.

This Agri-MSME Challenge Fund seeks to support the expansion of solutions to alleviate financial and other constraints suffered by agricultural enterprises located in the rural developing Sepik region of Papua New Guinea following COVID-19 restrictions and effects in the local economy.

This RFA structured as a Challenge Fund is working in concert with the EU-funded Support to Rural Entrepreneurship, Investment and Trade (STREIT) program designed to revitalize existing economic opportunities in rural populations.

The objective of this program is to support adding value to three value chains: Cocoa, Vanilla and Fisheries in the Sepik region and foster capacities that improve value chain actors in their access to finance, knowledge, information and markets.

Aims

The project aims for the following two core achievements:

5 most promising innovators will be able to test and scale their solutions that will directly benefit the Agri-MSME sector in the Sepik Region of PNG.
The Challenge Fund will provide platform (s) for Agri-MSMEs, service providers, and innovators to collaborate to improve efficiencies and market synergies.

Areas of Intervention

Project can address solutions to one or more of the following areas of intervention:

Access to market
Access to financial services
Effective integration of value chains and support services
Efficient business processes and management skills

Funding Information

UNCDF will provide successful applicant / s:

UNCDF’s contributions can range from 25,000 USD to 90,000 USD.
Technical assistance and potential opportunities for market collaboration.

Eligibility Criteria

Entity registration
- The applicant must be a registered entity.
- The applicant / lead applicant must have audited financial statements for at least one operating year; if audited financial statements are not available at the time of application, the applicant must provide the latest management accounts.
- Candidates shall have fulfilled all the obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions or obligations relating to the payment of taxes in accordance with legal provisions in force in the country of incorporation.
Country of Operation
- The applicant can be registered in PNG or any of the South Pacific countries, including Australia and New Zealand, however the interventions should have their project and solution implementation in the Sepik region of PNG. UNCDF strongly encourages PNG based businesses to apply.
- Entities registered outside of PNG are required to have a local partner that is registered in PNG.
Consortia (when applicable)
- Applic ants may apply only once under the RFA, whether independently or in a consortium.
- Joint applications between market players in the target country or countries are encouraged if the solution proposed will expand delivery networks and promote rural and / or other last-mile access to market and financial services.
- Applications from consortiums should be attached with the signed consortium agreement.
- The lead applicant and partner must be registered entities with at least one year of operations and must have status or accounts and audited financial statements for at least one operating year. If audited financial statements are not available at the time of application, the applicant must provide the latest management accounts and provide UNCDF with audited financial statements during the partnership.