Grants
Through a Call for proposals, ACP/EU MICROFINANCE allows grants to actions designed directly by EU and ACP microfinance stakeholders, for actions implemented in ACP countries.
The granted actions support the responsible offer and delivery of financial services to those who are still excluded from mainstream access to proper financial services.
With these grants, ACP/EU MICROFINANCE intends to:
- Facilitate access to finance for communities excluded from the formal financial system in a sustainable manner and by using innovative delivery models;
- Improve the MFIs’ capacity in the fields of financial and risk management, and transparency on financial and social performance;
- Build the financial capability of microfinance clients, to enhance their capacity to become autonomous economic actors.
Beneficiaries and partners
Through this call for proposals, ACP/EU MICROFINANCE opens its offer of support to a variety of actors: applicants can include microfinance providers that cater for the poorest and more vulnerable, specialised supporting structures and institutions that deal with client empowerment.
Applications
Guidelines and annexes are online. Read the presentation of the guidelines 
[7 MB] .
Grant amount
Grants amount from € 250.000 to € 800.000, hence covering 20% to 80% of total eligible cost of the actions. The total amount of the grant is € 7.5 million.
Time line of the call for proposals
- Publication of the Call for proposals: June 17, 2011
- Deadline for request of clarifications: July 11, 2011
- Deadline for the publication of clarifications: July 21, 2011
- Deadline for the submission of concept notes: August 1, 2011
- Invitation to submit Full Application Forms: October 27, 2011
- Deadline for request of clarifications: November 21, 2011
- Deadline for the publication of clarifications: December 1, 2011
- Deadline for the submission of Full Application Forms: December 12, 2011
Questions & answers
Phase 1 – concept notes
Read the first batch of Questions & Answers [399 KB] 
Read the second batch of Questions & Answers [81 KB]
Phase 2 – Full Applications
Read the third batch of Questions & Answers [71 KB]
Read the fourth batch of Questions & Answers [112 KB]