Calls for Applications: Women Enterprise Recovery Fund 2021

Eligibilities

• Eligible Applicants
  Eligible applicants who can apply for the Innovation Fund include: mobile financial service providers, regulated Financial Institutions (Banks, Insurance, MFIs), regulated peer-to-peer lending providers, smart agriculture equipment providers, agricultural input suppliers/providers, agent banking aggregators, mobile network operators, technology providers, agricultural value chain companies, FMCG/ distributors/ wholesalers, and Fintech/Agritech/Insurtech companies and weather index-based crop insurance companies.
• Eligibility Requirements
  • The applicant can be based anywhere globally, but the project implementation and solution must target women enterprises in one or more of the target countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal and Vietnam).
  • Joint applications between market players (including those examples of registered entities given above) 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 market and financial services.
  • Applications from consortiums of organizations must show that the partnership was established prior to this call for applications or due to this call for application with a letter of intent.
  • If the applicant does not have regulatory approval to pilot the proposed solution in the target country or countries, then the applicant must partner with a regulated financial institution in the country/countries to deliver the solution.
  • 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.
  • Applicants must have an existing solution having tested a proof of concept that is ready to undergo pilot testing for a duration of 9 to 12 months.
  • The solution proposed must be implementable in 2021 and 2022, with a project duration of between 9 and 12 months and ending by June 2022.
  • Applicants must contribute at least 30 per cent of the project’s cash costs (costs may include technical infrastructure, resources, and operations).
  • Applicants shall not have been the subject of bankruptcy, liquidation, judicial settlement, safeguarding, cessation of activity or any other similar situation resulting from a similar procedure.
  • Applicants and any of their staff or member of their board of directors shall not be included in the United Nations financial sanctions lists,17 particularly in the fight against the financing of terrorism and against attacks on international peace and security; and
  • Applicants must not be involved in any of the following activities: 18 manufactures, sale or distribution of controversial weapons or their components, including cluster bombs, anti-personnel mines, biological or chemical weapons or nuclear weapons; manufacture, sale or distribution of armaments and/or weapons or their components, including military supplies and equipment; replica weapons marketed to children; manufacture, sale or distribution of tobacco or tobacco products; involvement in the manufacture, sale and distribution of pornography; manufacture, sale or distribution of substances subject to international bans or phase-outs, and wildlife or products regulated under the CITES; gambling including casinos, betting etc. (excluding lotteries with charitable objectives); violation of human rights or complicity in human rights violations; use or toleration of forced or compulsory labour; use or toleration of child labour.

UNCDF will conduct due diligence on selected applicants. Applicants must have documents ready for confirmation that 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 besides the application form.