News

CGAP Seeks to Partner with Microfinance Providers to Digitize Lending

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 29, 2021 – CGAP today launched a call for expressions of interest for microfinance institutions (MFIs) to collaborate on their digitization efforts to support micro and small enterprise (MSE) finance.

CGAP aims to support up to five MFIs in two workstreams:

  • A measurement workstream to assess the impact that MFIs’ digital solutions (e.g., a customer app, field officer app, digitization of credit application process) are having on customers’ behavior and MFIs’ business performance
  • An automation workstream to automate the repeat loan process, particularly for MFIs’ existing MSE clients

To support the workstreams, CGAP will provide technical assistance tailored to partners’ needs in various areas, including data analytics practice, product development (repeat loan automation), testing/iteration, marketing and delivery. The selected MFIs will also be invited to participate in a new CGAP community of practice (CoP) focused on digitization in microfinance. The CoP will organize MFIs along selected topics related to microfinance digitization.

In addition to bespoke technical advisory services sourced either internally or externally, partners can also benefit from visibility within the industry arising from CGAP communications on pilot lessons through channels reaching around 500,000 unique users every year.

Selection criteria

For the Measurement workstream, CGAP is looking to partner with MFIs that have implemented a digital solution (e.g., a customer app, field officer app, digitization of credit application process) and want to measure its impact on their customer behavior (and, by extension, on the MFI’s business performance).

For the Automation workstream, CGAP is looking to partner with MFIs that want to automate the repeat loan process, particularly to their existing MSE clients.

Partners must be committed to the success of the project and willing to draw on internal resources as required. Preference will be given to partners that are ready to start the project within three months of being selected and are open to sharing non-sensitive data and lessons learned from the project.

*CGAP will not disclose any information without the consent of partners. For more selection criteria, see the full call for expression of interest/terms of reference.

Timeline

Call for expressions of interest | October 29, 2021 - November 15, 2021

Screening, assessment, and selection | December 1, 2021

Implementation support | January 1, 2022 onwards

Key documents

This terms of reference (also available in French and Spanish) and the FAQ provide detailed information about the call for expressions of interest, including selection criteria and application process.

Interested applicants can apply through this expression of interest form (also available in French and Spanish). Clicking the link will download an editable Word document.

The submission deadline is November 15, 2021.

Please submit any questions or your completed expression of interest to Ivo Jenik at ijenik@worldbank.org.