UNCDF invites applications from legal entities in Nepal that can offer or expand inclusive last-mile solutions and financial instruments targeting the rural and underserved communities by scaling-up payment's digitalization and processes digitalization of agriculture value chains. Digitalizing value chains will involve deployment of technological solutions that might include cloud-based ledger solutions and integrated mobile wallets solutions for smallholder farmers. DFS provider shall implement a digital credit product through their mobile wallet with the value proposition to Farmers of Agriculture Value chains to get access to credit for short-term financing needs (mainly livelihood needs).

In order to accelerate the acceptance of these digital financial services offerings, the selected entity shall deploy field-based representatives who engage with DFS stakeholders in selected rural areas, including agents, merchants, customers/farmers and agricultural/multipurpose/rural finance cooperatives. The on-field representative shall engage with recruitment of cooperatives, agents and merchant, along with on-ground support towards handholding and monitoring, digital literacy education and exchange of learning.

The role of selected entity encompasses:

• Offering or Expanding Agriculture Value chain based technical products targeting payments and process digitalization
• Onboarding and digitization of agricultural/ multipurpose/ rural finance cooperatives involved in the Agri-value chain
• Offering Digital Credit Product through Mobile Wallet Solutions to Farmers who require short term credit for household needs and bridge finance for livelihoods.
• Agent network recruitment and management
• Merchant network recruitment and management
• Onboarding Farmers as customer for Digital financial services
• Implementing field-based representatives for accelerating of DFS ecosystem in the Agriculture Value chain.

The geographical scope of this RFA is rural areas of Kavre, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur in Nepal.

UNCDF will provide a grant to the selected recipient institution. Selected applicants will be signing a Performance-Based Agreement (PBA) with UNCDF. Please review the PBA model available on this RFA website.

Applicants may apply independently or in a consortium, provided that the consortium has a pre-established partnership prior to when this request for applications was issued.

Inquiries to this request for applications may be submitted by email to
uncdf.rfa@uncdf.org cc saroj.nepal@uncdf.org

All applications must be submitted by November 30, 2020 23:59 EST, the New York time zone, to uncdf.rfa@uncdf.org