UPDATED APPLICATION DEADLINE: 30th May 2019

The Bank of Sierra Leone in partnership with the United Nations Capital Development Fund and IBSA Fund are launching the Sierra Leone FinTech Challenge 2019-2020, under the theme of “Domestic resource mobilization”, to further support the financial inclusion of the middle and low-income population.

The Sierra Leone FinTech Challenge 2019-2020, has the overall goal of improving Sierra Leone’s domestic resource mobilization and the economic well-being of Sierra Leoneans living in rural and underserved areas. It aims to harness the growing digital economy in order to develop and test innovative solutions as a way to leapfrog access to finance, and consequently build out government and private sector platforms to operationalize the benefits of the digital economy.

It will test and build business models for digital infrastructure to shift from informal cash–based transactions to digital financial services that can mobilize domestic resources and address the latent needs around health, education, agriculture and help save and plan for the future.

The focus will be nationwide, with emphasis on rural areas, smallholder farmers, women groups and youth.

The Bank of Sierra Leone will provide two finalists access to the Regulatory Sandbox – a safe space for unregulated financial sector innovations to grow under the guidance of the Bank of Sierra Leone staff and other specialists.

To apply, please download the Expression of Interest and Lean Canvas Forms.