Deadline: 11-May-21
UNCDF is calling applications for the Development of Financial Products and Services Integrated with Financial Education in Niger to support local development.
United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) makes public and private finances work for the poor in the world’s 46 least developed countries.
With its mandate and capital instruments, UNCDF offers “last mile” financing models that unlock public and private resources, particularly at the national level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development.
The technical and financial support provided by UNCDF has also enabled these financial service providers to develop financial education services that have benefited more than one million people.
Objectives
The proposal is thus built around the following three objectives:
- Objective 1: Innovative technologies are adopted to promote the practices organic and agro ecological in order to increase the productivity of 3 farms of 5 hectares, each run by women and young people.
- Objective 2: Digital tools are adopted / developed to facilitate better access to financial services for women and youth engaged in agriculture and production food.
- Objective 3: The processing and sale of market garden products are facilitated by the use technologies and innovations that generate income for young people and women.
Funding Information
- UNCDF contributions can range from USD 50,000 to USD 200,000 depending on the level of investment readiness and the dissemination potential of the proposed solution.
Eligibility Criteria
Financial service providers will be shortlisted based on the evidence provided in response to their submission to the call for proposals. Special emphasis will be focused on the use of digital solutions by financial service providers and / or their willingness to build partnerships to offer digital financial services. The criteria below will be used for the preselection:
- Entity registration
- The application must be submitted by a legally registered legal entity and formed in Niger to carry out activities related to the granting of credits, the collection of deposits and / or savings, the issuance and / or distribution of electronic money, the provision of financial services in general and comply with all BCEAO requirements as well as all other competent authorities.
- Experience and prerequisites
- The candidate must have at least three years of activity;
- Have audited financial statements for at least three years;
- Have fulfilled all the obligations relating to the payment of security contributions social security and obligations relating to the payment of taxes in accordance with legal provisions of Niger;
- Have a fleet of at least 10,000 customers;
- Demonstrate good financial stability (profitability ratios of assets and operational self-sufficiency greater than 100%, positive net results, etc.);
- Have sufficient financial, human, IT and logistical resources and adequate to carry out all planned activities;
- Have experience with digital as a service distribution channel financial or have concrete plans to use it;
- Commit to monitoring and evaluating results and be ready to share information and lessons learned
- Country of intervention
- The candidate must be based, duly registered and have at least three years of activity at Niger. It must already be present in the Tillabéri and Dosso zones or declare an interest for the expansion of its network to ensure proximity to beneficiaries of these areas.
- Consortia (if applicable)
- Applicants can only submit one application under thiscall for proposals, whether independently or within a consortium.
- Joint requests between market players in the target country are encouraged if the proposed solution makes it possible to extend the distribution networks and promote rural access and / or other last mile access to beneficiaries in the Tillabéri and Dosso areas.
- Requests from consortia of organizations must demonstrate that the partnership was established before this call for proposals.
- The lead applicant and their partner providing financial services must be registered entities with at least one year of activity, and must have statutory accounts and certified financial statements for at least one year activity.
For more information, visit https://www.uncdf.org/article/6709/rfa-dveloppement-de-produits-et-services-financiers-intgrs-lducation-financire-dans-les-rgions-de-tillabri-et-de-dosso