Deadline: 10-Mar-22
The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) invites institutions registered in Gabon that have innovative digital financial service distribution models (digital payment system, networks of banking agents and digital payment acceptors and other uses of digital financial services), ready to be applied to pilot scale or large scale to present their proposals.
In Gabon, thanks to funding from the European Union (EU) and the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) supports the development of new use cases, products or business models that could generate results around inclusive digital economies and the expansion of digital financial services for segments currently being left behind, such as women, youth and other vulnerable segments of groups low income.
Objectives
The objective of this call for proposals is to select a qualified digital financial services provider (Banks, Microfinance Institutions, FinTech, Payment Institutions), committed, ready and able to pilot or scale on the one hand innovative agent distribution network models in urban, peri-urban and rural areas targeting women, youth, rural dwellers and other vulnerable groups, to achieve the following objectives:
- Demonstrate that distribution channels distribution of digital financial services, when designed and delivered with a rigorous understanding of the needs of low-income and vulnerable population segments, can impact access to and use of digital financial services.
- Demonstrate that financial service providers have an out-of-the-box solution for extending digital financial services distribution networks.
- Develop specific use cases that demonstrate the business case for delivering digital financial services for women, youth, rural dwellers, farmers, and low-income populations.
Focus Areas
Project focus areas may include:
- Agent network design: With DSPs that have agent-based digital financial services delivery at the heart of their operations, UNCDF may support ready-to-use, replicable and commercially viable agent models. Digital Service Providers must have a strong strategy to increase the number of female agents.
- Rural and peri-urban expansion: UNCDF can support institutions seeking to extend their agent networks to peri-urban and rural communities targeting low-income segments.
- Digitization of agent network operations: UNCDF can support institutions seeking to develop the use of digital tools to improve the performance and efficiency of their agent networks. For example, digital monitoring and quality control, agent selection and network deployment.
- Use of advanced technologies to facilitate payment for goods and services (QR code, NFC, etc.).
- Agent funding – efloat loans, and financial education.
Funding Information
- In this context, UNCDF plans to invest up to one hundred thousand (100,000) USD in total in grants for the deployment, expansion and/or improvement of innovative digital financial services distribution models (digital payment system, agent networks banks and digital payment acceptors) to expand the use of and access to digital financial services.
- The project must have a maximum duration of 12 months. The final report and the evaluation reportmust be submitted no later than the end of the project.
Eligibility Criteria
- The application must be submitted by a legal entity or by a partnership of legal entities. In the case of a partnership, the leader of the partnership will be responsible for leading the project from start to finish. It is up to the lead partner to guarantee the commitment of its various partners to guarantee the sustainability of the project until its end.
- The bidder/partnership leader must be an entity registered in Gabon.
- The Bidder/Partnership Leader must be a registered entity with at least one year of activity, and must have statutory accounts and certified financial statements for at least one calendar year of activity.
- Joint applications between market players in Gabon are encouraged, if the proposed solution extends distribution networks and promotes rural access and/or other last mile access.
- Bidders may submit only one application under this RFP, either independently or as part of a consortium.
- If the Bidder is a group of legal entities required to form or have formed a consortium at the time of submission of the Bid, they must confirm as part of their Bid:
- that they have named a party as principal entity, duly authorized to legally bind the members of the consortium or partnership in a joint and several manner, this must be demonstrated using a duly authenticated agreement between the said legal entities which must be attached to the submission; and
- that if the contract is awarded to them, it will be between UNCDF and the designated principal entity which will act on behalf of all the legal entities comprising the partnership.
- The UNCD financial assistance agreement will be signed by the main legal entity designated by the other members of the partnership.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3Mj45fc