Germany – Financial consultancy services – 81311531-Access to finance for women-owned MSME in Rwanda

Services to be provided by the contractor: The overall goal of the assignment is to improve access to formal financing for women-owned businesses in Rwanda. Two formal financing products (either newly developed or adapted to the needs of women-owned businesses) will be piloted and launched, and the capacities of a selected group of women entrepreneurs will be strengthened to apply for financing. The beneficiaries of the assignment are women-owned businesses (microenterprises and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME)) and formal financial service providers (FSPs), including banks, MFIs, SACCOs, and mobile money providers. The work packages of the assignment are: 1. Selection and appraisal of financial service provider(s): the contractor will select and appraise 1-2 FSPs. This includes conducting a needs assessment of women-owned businesses, preparing a kick-off meeting with GIZ, and defining criteria for selecting FSPs in underserved regions. The contractor will assess potential FSPs and prepare a recommendation report for their selection. 2. Development, piloting and launch of 2 new or adapted financing products for women-owned businesses: the contractor will assist the selected FSPs in developing or adapting financial services tailored to women-owned businesses. The contractor will provide technical support, train FSPs in product design, and collaborate on developing product prototypes. This package also includes pilot testing and refining products based on feedback. 3. Technical support to 50 women-owned businesses: the contractor will select and support 50 women-owned businesses to effectively apply for the new financing products. This involves developing selection criteria, delivering tailored financial literacy training, and providing ongoing advisory services to assist with loan applications and relationship-building with FSPs. The contractor will track the progress of applications and evaluate the impact of the financing products. 4. Other tasks: additional tasks, including setting up an M&E system in agreement with GIZ and FSPs to report on the defined indicators.