Call for Proposals: Women’s Empowerment for Inclusive Growth (WING) Program in Bangladesh

Deadline: 31-Jan-21

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) invites interested women-led SMEs and NGO led Social Enterprises (SEs) from Kurigram, Manikganj, Jashore, Thakurgaon, and Cox’s Bazar Districts who are working on real economic empowerment of women’s and girls.

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The interested women SMEs and NGO led SEs are requested to submit their gender-responsive business (manufacturing and service sector preferred) proposal application for funding under the WING program. The application is for receiving technical assistance and financial support such as development grants, credit enhancements, and guarantees that advances gender responsive investment for women’s and girls’ economic empowerment. The WING program plans to target women-led SMEs or SEs that have graduated from its “Start-up” phase into the Scale-up phase.

The Women’s Empowerment for Inclusive Growth (WING) program is a joint initiative of UNCDF, UNDP and UNWomen that builds on the foundation tested by the Inclusive and Equitable Local Development (IELD) program and enhanced to incorporate the lessons learned and results from IELD’s piloting phase.

The overall program outcome of WING is Women achieve sustainable improvements in income and economic security. The WING program will contribute to ensuring that women have sustainable improvements in income and economic security at a local level with more women having wider access to local economic opportunities, private and public financial services as well as income-generating activities.

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WING program aims to achieve the joint program outcome(s) are improved implementation and enforcement of policies supportive to women’s economic empowerment, women’s participation in local economic development activities is increased, women-led enterprises unlock and access larger volume of domestic capital to expand their economic space.

Focus Areas

With this Call for Investment Proposals (CfPs), UNCDF is inviting calls for investment project proposals in the following:

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(A) Focus areas for women-led SMEs (As per Bangladesh Bank SMESMD CMSME circular, small and medium enterprise):

Fully operational for the past 3 years with viable business/investment project expansion plans
Constrained by lack of adequate capital or collateral for business/investment project expansion
Majority of women employees (greater than 60% of total employee count)
Project financing (min 20% fixed assets & max 80% working capital)
Proposed project business/investment project cost about more than BDT 2,80,00,000
Business/ investment project initial duration 3-7 years
At least 30% of the project cost to be financed by the owner’s equity
Feasible business plan with cash flow projections to replay any loan obligations
Clean and favorable CIB report (As and when required)
Proven track record of doing business and a primary focus on women’s empowerment
To have the initial legal documentation such as trade licenses, SME’s registrations, bank accounts, and other institutional and formal establishments to graduate and grow their business, market, products, human resources, policies, and technologies towards industrialization and institutionalization
(B) Focus areas for NGO led Social Enterprises (SEs)

Successful track record of running social businesses
SEs fully operational for the past 3 years with viable business expansion plans
Constrained by lack of adequate capital or collateral for expansion
Majority of women employees (greater than 60% of total employee count)
Project financing (min 20% fixed assets & max 80% working capital)
Proposed project social business/investment project cost more than BDT 2,80,00,000
Social Business/ investment project initial planned 3-7 years
At least 30% of the project cost to be financed by the owner’s equity
Feasible social business plan with cash flow projections to replay any loan obligations
Clean and favorable CIB report (As and when required)
Proven track record of doing business and a primary focus on women’s empowerment
To have the initial legal documentation such as trade licenses, SE’s registrations, bank accounts, and other institutional and formal establishments to graduate and grow their business, market, products, human resources, policies, and technologies towards industrialization and institutionalization
Engaging the majority of women to expand their skills and market and employment in the local economy.
A thorough assessment of SEs audit reports (for funding requirements)
SEs experience of the management team and governance structure
Legal assessment of their official Memorandum of Articles and Charters
What UNCDF offers to women led SMEs and NGO led SEs

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Grant financing up to 15% of the total expansion business/investment project cost
Guarantee/credit enhancement to financing institutions against the project up to 50% of total loan size
Project development and preparatory support
Link to financial institutions and investors
Gender-responsive investment project support services
Support management regarding gender equality benefits
Assist management to establish policies for a gender discrimination-free work environment
Eligibility Criteria

Gender-responsive business/investment project proposals must meet all of the following eligibility criteria(s):

Institutional profile: Significant number of women-engagement in organizational structure and workforce which includes women representation amongst the Board of Directors, Management team and full-time staff, The business has an explicit commitment to gender equality in employment, The business makes explicit spending and program commitments that increase gender equality and support women’s advancement (i.e. conducted gender-related training will be considered as added value.
Commercial viability: Proposals that show the ability to generate revenue and make profits will be given priority
Business/investment Project status: Scale-up business that has passed a pre-feasibility stage beyond a concept note.
Expansion Business/investment Project size: about more than BDT 2,80,00,000
SME/SE size & Project size: Women-led SMEs or NGO-led SEs with the total number of employees (50 to 100) being engaged full time is preferred.
Supply chain procurement: The business provides price equality to male and female suppliers
Located districts: Kurigram, Manikganj, Jashore, Thakurgaon, and Cox’s Bazar districts
Development impact: Project that will generate positive economic benefits e.g. job creation, income generation, empowerment of women and girls including trade and market access.
Qualified management: The proposal must show evidence that the proposed management team has the necessary technical and managerial skills to run the project
Compliance: Compliance with Bangladesh laws and regulations and UNDCF/UNDP Environmental & Social Performance Standards including industrial laws, human (labor & women) rights is a must. The social and environmental screening (SES) template is attached
A scoring of WEE Index (Women Economic Empowerment Index) tools, where eligible score is 0.50< The WEE Index template is attached with this CfPs for getting understanding about WEE Index tool of WING program
For more information, visit https://www.uncdf.org/article/6404/call-for-investment-proposals-gender-responsive-investment-projects-wing-program-in-bangladesh