Aceli Agri-SME Market Incentive Facility

The Aceli Agri-SME Market Incentive Facility aims to unlock financing for high-impact agricultural small and medium sized enterprises (agri-SMEs). The project provides financial incentives to increase the risk appetite of global and local financial institutions to lend to these businesses which lack access to capital. It also provides technical assistance to expand the ability of high-impact small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to qualify for and manage the financing. Project activities include: (1) offering financing incentives to financial institutions Sub-Sahara Africa; (2) offering an impact bonus to financial institutions that serve borrowers that are inclusive of gender and youth and contribute to food security on the continent; and (3) providing technical assistance for early and growth stage SMES both before and after investment.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) improved ability to serve agri-SMEs particularly those that are gender inclusive by the financial institutions supported by Aceli Africa; (2) enhanced capacity of lenders and agri-SMEs to apply good Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) standards and access and manage financing; and (3) improved food security and nutrition gender and youth inclusion and climate smart agricultural practices by high-impact agri-SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa.