EOI for Financial Service Providers to apply for financing to support Nature-based tourism MSMEs

This Expression of Interest (EOI) aims to identify and support financial service providers willing and capable of expanding access to finance to nature-based tourism MSMEs particularly those owned, led and operated by Women.

UNCDF seeks to partner with up to four financial service providers to co-design financial incentives that will increase investment in nature-based MSMEs within the tourism value chain. Through this partnership, UNCDF will provide concessional financing to incentivize lending and support the growth and diversification of the partners' tourism lending portfolios. The concessional financing will be provided to participating financial service providers to enhance the commercial viability of lending while reducing the costs and risks associated with expanding their tourism portfolios or entering the nature-based tourism market. The intervention will also promote the use of movable assets as collateral and support financing for sustainability investments, such as water management and conservation, renewable energy integration, and eco-lodge upgrades. The funding is not intended for on-lending capital or loan guarantees. Instead, it should be used in other ways to reduce the costs and risks of lending to nature-based MSMEs in the tourism value chain. Please refer to the Expression of Interest (EOI) for the suggested eligible uses of the funds and propose any additional activities that would help achieve this objective. The EOI will remain open until 30 October. Applications will be reviewed and shortlisted on a monthly rolling basis, with submissions considered in the order they are received. Please ensure you participate in the information sessions online on 26th August from 2:00pm to 3.30pm Kampala time and on 06th October from 11:00 to 12:30 Kampala time. During the session, participants will have the opportunity to clarify their questions and address any concerns to ensure that they can properly complete their online applications before the deadline for the call for Expression of Interest (EOI).

Eligible countries and territories: Uganda. Eligible applicants: Bank, Fintech, MFI, NDB. UNCDF region: East and Southern Africa. Deadline: 30-October-2026 @ 11:59 PM (Eastern Africa Time). Reference: SRC-000032. Applications are submitted online through UNCDF's Q+ Expressions of Interest portal, which requires registration.