Deadline: 6-May-22
The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) in the Gambia is seeking an experienced ICT firm that will develop an integrated women’s application that would provide access to a multitude of data and bridge the gap to financial inclusion and enable the Ministry Of Gender Children & Social Welfare (MoWGSW) to deliver its major services digitally and through e-channels.
The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 46 least developed countries. With its capital mandate and instruments, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development.
This app should open a world of opportunities to women giving them access to general, women focused and emergency information, financial institutions and educational materials. It is important to note that due to the low level of literacy the women app should accommodate a lot of audio material to allow the users to easily comprehend the messages and avoid any language barriers.
Objectives
By using the App, the growing number of Gambian women who have access to internet and smartphones, in the long-run, should be able to achieve the following objectives:
- Receive news about laws and regulations regarding women rights
- Find advocacy programs on women rights
- Find health services in their area
- Get information about the nearest police stations
- Find nearby job and training opportunities
- Access Ministry helpline and support services
- Financial Services, possibly through integrations with FSPs (payments, transfers, savings, credit, insurance…)
Components
- Component 1: Job creation for the youth, women and local communities and equal access to employable skills development.
- Component 2: Improved access to finance
Areas of Intervention
- Capacity Building
- Challenges: Women development is still a challenge. Access to skills and knowledge such as financial literacy remains a barrier.
- Objectives: Building and providing an app that would provide all the tool needed for self development and empowerement from information on training and employment opportunities to financial literacy helping them get access and manage their finances.
- Access to information
- Challenges: Most women don’t know where to access basic information such as emergency contacts, personal hygiene, etc.
- Objectives: Building and delivering an app that will be a one stop informational centre and provide them with all they need to improve their living.
Funding Information
- UNCDF’s contributions can go up to 50,000 USD, depending on the investment readiness level and outreach potential of the solution proposed, and UNCDF will award a grant to at least one successful candidate.
- Projects are expected to have a 24 months duration.
Eligibility Criteria
- Entity registration
- Applicant(s) shall be duly incorporated and registered, preferably in The Gambia;
- Applicant(s) should be operating in The Gambia for at least 3 years;
- Applicant(s) should have audited financial statements for at least past 1 year;
- Applicant(s) shall not be in a state of repair or to have been the subject of bankruptcy, liquidation, judicial settlement, safeguarding, cessation of activity or any other similar situation resulting from a similar procedure;
- Applicant(s) and any of their staff or member of their board of directors shall not be included in the United Nations financial sanctions lists, particularly in the fight against the financing of terrorism and against attacks on international peace and security; and
- Applicants must have documents ready to confirm they meet the eligibility criteria, including audited financial statements, certificate of registration, certificate of compliance with the tax authorities and any other documentary evidence that might be requested by UNCDF.
- Country of operation
- The applicant should preferrably be based in The Gambia.
- Consortiums (when applicable)
- Applicants can apply only once under this 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 digitalization.
- Applications from consortiums of organizations must show that the partnership was established prior to this call for applications.
- The lead applicant and their financial service provider partner must be registered entities with at least one year of operations, and must have statutory accounts and audited financial statements for at least one operating year.
- Solutions to be supported
- Applicants must have an existing solution having tested a proof of concept that is ready to undergo pilot testing for a duration of 6 to 12 months.
For more information, visit https://www.uncdf.org/article/7614/rfa-the-gambia-development-of-a-women-focused-mobile-app-for-empowering-women