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CFPs: Strengthening Market Based Sanitation for Refugee and Host Communities in Kenya

Deadline: 31-Dec-2025

UNICEF is launching a market-based sanitation initiative in Turkana, Kenya, aiming to improve access to safe, affordable, and climate-resilient sanitation while fostering micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). The project supports youth-, women-, and disability-led WASH businesses with training, mentorship, and innovative finance solutions to scale services for refugee and host communities. The initiative also integrates knowledge sharing to guide replication of sustainable sanitation models in similar humanitarian and development contexts.

Overview

UNICEF’s project in Turkana, Kenya, seeks to establish a sustainable, market-driven sanitation ecosystem serving both refugee and host communities. The initiative combines enterprise development, financial innovation, and WASH service delivery to improve sanitation access and stimulate local economic growth. With a $500,000 budget, the program targets 30 WASH MSMEs, ensuring inclusion of women– and refugee-led enterprises, and aims to benefit at least 8,000 households.

Key Objectives

  • Improve access to safe, affordable, and climate-resilient sanitation.

  • Strengthen WASH MSMEs, particularly youth-, women-, and disability-led enterprises.

  • Foster enterprise growth through technical, financial, and business capacity building.

  • Introduce innovative finance mechanisms to expand sanitation affordability.

  • Generate and share knowledge for replicable market-based sanitation models.

Who Is Eligible?

  • MSMEs operating in the WASH sector in Turkana, Kenya.

  • Priority for enterprises led by women, youth, or people with disabilities.

  • Businesses capable of integrating into formal county sanitation systems.

Focus Areas

  • Technical and financial capacity building for MSMEs.

  • Mentorship and market exposure for sanitation enterprises.

  • Access to supply chains, local authorities, and financial institutions.

  • Development of blended-finance solutions to support MSMEs and households.

  • Knowledge documentation and sharing for scale-up and replication.

Innovative Finance Models

  1. Interest-Subsidy Mechanism: Reduces commercial loan costs for MSMEs.

  2. Results-Based Financing: Rewards verified sanitation service delivery.

  3. Household Sanitation Credit Scheme: Provides loans for low-income households backed by MSME guarantees.

Planned Activities and Targets (2026–2027)

  • Onboard 30 WASH MSMEs, ensuring at least 30% are women-led and 30% refugee-led.

  • Conduct six enterprise training workshops, reaching 150 participants with skills in financial management, marketing, compliance, and sanitation service delivery.

  • Engage at least two financial institutions to co-develop sanitation financing products.

  • Pilot three blended-finance models to expand access to loans and seed capital.

  • Deliver improved sanitation services to at least 8,000 households, including toilets, fecal sludge management, and reuse products such as fuel briquettes.

How to Apply / What to Do

  1. Ensure your enterprise operates in the WASH sector in Turkana.

  2. Confirm leadership or team includes youth, women, or persons with disabilities (priority).

  3. Prepare a detailed proposal including business model, target services, and inclusion plans.

  4. Outline capacity-building needs and how participation will strengthen your enterprise.

  5. Demonstrate ability to deliver sanitation services to households and integrate with local systems.

  6. Provide financial and operational information to support blended-finance mechanisms.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Not demonstrating enterprise readiness or scalability.

  • Failing to prioritize inclusion of women, youth, or refugee-led MSMEs.

  • Proposing projects without integration into county sanitation systems.

  • Incomplete financial or operational documentation for blended-finance participation.

  • Lack of measurable targets for households or MSME outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  1. What is the total project budget? $500,000 USD.

  2. How many MSMEs will be supported? 30 MSMEs, with at least 30% women- and 30% refugee-led.

  3. Who can apply? WASH-focused MSMEs in Turkana, prioritizing youth, women, and persons with disabilities.

  4. What financial mechanisms are included? Interest-subsidy loans, results-based financing, and household sanitation credits.

  5. How many households will benefit? At least 8,000 households with improved sanitation.

  6. What training is provided? Six workshops covering financial management, marketing, compliance, and sanitation service delivery.

  7. Will UNICEF provide ongoing support? Yes, including mentorship, market linkages, and access to finance.

Conclusion

UNICEF’s Turkana sanitation initiative provides a transformative opportunity to strengthen WASH enterprises, expand safe sanitation access, and stimulate local economic growth. By integrating capacity building, inclusive participation, and innovative finance, the program sets a replicable model for sustainable sanitation solutions in refugee-hosting and development-affected regions.

For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.