UNCDF is looking for partners such as agritech, fintech, supply chain financing, mobile money providers, and other firms to bring forward inclusive solutions to promote the use of innovations among Agriculture Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (Agri-MSME) in Papua New Guinea.

This Agri-MSME Challenge Fund seeks to support the expansion of solutions to alleviate financial and other constraints suffered by agricultural enterprises located in the rural developing Sepik region of Papua New Guinea following COVID-19 restrictions and effects in the local economy. This RFA structured as a Challenge Fund is working in concert with the EU-funded Support to Rural Entrepreneurship, Investment and Trade (STREIT) program designed to revitalize existing economic opportunities in rural populations.

The objective of this program is to support adding value to three value chains: Cocoa, Vanilla and Fisheries in the Sepik region and foster capacities that improve value chain actors in their access to finance, knowledge, information and markets.

The Challenge Fund is jointly implemented by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) in partnership with the Bank of Papua New Guinea SME Accelerator Program, STREIT PNG and supported by the European Union.

Selected applicants will be expected to fund at least 30 percent (30%) of the total project cost in cash (for costs such technical resources, staff, and operational expenses).

The project aims for the following two core achievements:

• 5 most promising innovators will be able to test and scale their solutions that will directly benefit the Agri-MSME sector in the Sepik Region of PNG.
• The Challenge Fund will provide platform(s) for Agri-MSMEs, service providers, and innovators to collaborate to improve efficiencies and market synergies.

Project can address solutions to one or more of the following areas of intervention:

• Access to market
• Access to financial services
• Effective integration of value chains and support services
• Efficient business processes and management skills

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Inquiries to this request for applications can be submitted by email to galib.azim@uncdf.org cc uncdf.rfa@uncdf.org. For any email inquiries, please include in your subject line: “Agri-MSME Challenge Fund - PNG”.