Deadline: 31-Oct-21
The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF) in Zambia have partnered with India-UN Development Partnership Fund to empower thirty thousand (30,000) women and youth in Zambia with increased access and usage of utility and digital financial services.
The project aims to contribute to the development of an inclusive digital economy, reaching poor populations in Zambia through leveraging digital payments in the utility sector, specifically energy, water, and sanitation.
This Request for Application (RFA) is therefore designed to solicit for education technology (EdTech) or civil society organizations to address urgent issues relating to customers’ capabilities to access, use and gain control over digital innovations.
Areas of intervention
For this Request for Applications (RFA), UNCDF invites applications from registered entities that offer educational, training and awareness on digital financial services to address the challenges below through the intervention area:
- Area 1: Design and launch digital financial literacy campaigns:
- On making digital payments via the translated USSD mobile money menu in 4 major Zambian languages of Nyanja, Bemba, Lozi, and Tonga for two (2) energy, two (2) water & sanitation service providers, and their customers
- On making digital payments for water via water kiosks with Automated Water Dispensing machines for two (2) water & sanitation service providers, and their customers,
- On making digital payments for electricity for two (2) energy service providers, and their customers.
- Area 2: Provide awareness and training on the above three(3)
Funding Information
- UNCDF will provide up to 60,000 USD in grant and technical assistance to at least two (2) candidates.
- Specific projects will be financed based on business needs. Depending on the maturity of the solutions and the success of the pilot, UNCDF may be able to continue its support for the mobilization of investment capital (loan and guarantee) and further technical assistance.
- Applications will need to describe how applicants will deploy the Grant and if any technical assistance or mentorship services are being sought. Additional technical assistance services will be provided by UNCDF through a separate budget line.
- Activities are expected to be terminated no later than 31st May 2022. Final and assessment report will have to be submitted by 30th June 2022
Eligible costs
- The criteria for eligible expenditure determine whether a cost qualifies for funding under UNCDF rules and procedures.
- The general criteria for eligibility of costs under UNCDF funding include the following:
- Eligible costs must be incurred by the applicant during the project (after the signature of the Performance-based Agreement and up to the end of the Grant period).
- Eligible costs should be indicated in the estimated overall budget of the action attached to the Performance-based Agreement.
- Costs must be identifiable and verifiable, particularly being recorded in the accounting records of the applicant and determined according to the applicable accounting standards of the country where the lead applicant is established.
- Costs must comply with the requirements of applicable tax and social legislation.
- Costs must be reasonable, justified and comply with the principle of sound financial management, particularly regarding economy and efficiency.
- Consultancy costs – under studies, technical assistance and other advisory services under the programme carried out by international and national consultants – are eligible as follows. Professional and consultancy services are services rendered by people with a special skill, and who are not officers or employees of the organization applying for the grant. Consulting services must be justified, with information provided on their expertise, primary organizational affiliation, normal daily fee, and number of days of expected service. Consultants’ travel costs, including for subsistence, are to be shown as travel expenditure. The applicant may be required to justify the daily fee.
- Workshop costs are eligible, for the workshop venue, food and beverages, and publication material.
- Training expenditure (financial education, digital education, soft skills) for the project’s final beneficiaries is eligible. If applicable, this will include all related expenditure, such as the cost of the venue, participant travel, and so on. Training for the employees of the institution applying for the grant is also eligible if it has been demonstrated that it will link directly to the project output.
- Investment costs directly attributable to the project, relating to research and innovation, are allowable.
Eligibility Criteria
- Only applications that meet the eligibility requirements and minimum criteria for the submission will be scored.
- Entity registration:
- The applicant/ lead applicant must be a registered entity in Zambia and to have at least one year of operations in the country.
- Applicants shall have fulfilled all the obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions or to the payment of taxes in accordance with legal
- provisions in force in the country of incorporation.
- Consortiums (where applicable):
- Applicants may apply only once under this RFA, whether independently or in a consortium.
- Applications from consortiums of organizations must show that the partnership was established prior to the submission of the proposal.
- 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.
- Entity registration:
For more information, visit https://www.uncdf.org/article/7230/rfa-awareness-and-training-in-digital-financial-literacy-for-utility-providers-and-customers-in-zambia