Submit your application online!

Applications open 17 August 2023

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 46 least developed countries. Unique in the UN system, UNCDF, with its capital mandate and instruments, can deploy a spectrum of financing solutions (grants, loans, and guarantees) and technical assistance to businesses that positively impact achieving the Sustainable Development Goals . UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development.

UNCDF received funding from the European Union under the “Salone Access to Finance” programme to promote financial inclusion, access to finance and risk management for agri-businesses in Sierra Leone.

The core objective of this RFA is to improve the financial resilience of low-income communities, farmers, and small businesses against climate risks through suitable climate risk insurance solutions.

This RFA will engage institutional partners to design and implement inclusive climate and disaster risk finance and insurance (CDRFI) solutions in Sierra Leone. In particular, the focus is on providing CDRFI products to agricultural communities and small businesses to increase resilience. Activities will include customer research, product design, product deployment, and digital channels.

The activities will cover the following three areas:

1. Designing and implementing innovative climate and disaster risk financing and insurance (CDRFI) solutions for individuals, communities, and small businesses, especially micro and meso- level solutions.
2. Improving access to and use of CDRFI solutions, focusing on farmers and women, including building their knowledge and skills to manage climate risks.
3. Testing and launching digital solutions using frontier technologies that improve the design, delivery, and impact of CDRFI solutions.

Candidates should propose a project for a combination of areas as indicated above

UNCDF offers its support through performance-based grant agreements (PBAs) and technical assistance (TA) to de-risk initial investments and supplement existing efforts of implementing partners in designing and delivering inclusive insurance, especially climate risk transfer solutions. Selected applicants will sign a Performance-based grant Agreement (PBA ) with UNCDF. Please review the PBA template available on the RFA website.

Depending on the project's size and the applicant's implementation capacities, the financial grant up to USD 100,000 depending on the investment readiness level and outreach potential of the solutions proposed.

We expect to finance up to three solutions under this RFA for 24 months.

Applicants will be expected to fund at least 30 percent of the total project cost. The applicant co-finance may include in-kind and cash contributions towards technical resources, staff, and operational implementation expenses. Higher contributions are preferred.

Applicants may apply independently or in a consortium, provided that there is a clear lead applicant and an established partnership before submitting the application under this RFA.

For requests and queries, please send an email to uncdf.rfa@uncdf.org and copy Eric Sena Morttey at eric.sena.morttey@uncdf.org with the title “Queries: Inclusive Innovations for market-based CDRFI solutions in Sierra Leone.”

Applications should be submitted via UNCDF’s plug-and-play e-investment platform “Apply” by the 10th of September with the title: “Company Name_RFA_2023-2025”.

However, please visit UNCDF’s Apply platform to check if the deadline has not been extended.