Palladium Group - Calls

In light of the current financial crisis hitting Lebanon, microfinance institutions are struggling to address the situation in order to ensure the financial sustainability of Micro and Small business clients.

This round of grants is expected to provide financial incentives “Financial Subsidies” paid to these MFI-nonprofits for the disbursement of new microcredit loans through loan officers in order to maintain their market penetration and outreach to that population where demand and need for affordable credit is most pressing.

LIFE is a 5-year USAID-funded project implemented by Palladium. The purpose of LIFE project is to improve economic opportunities and livelihoods of low income individuals and microenterprises by expanding and strengthening microfinance associations’ and member institutions’ services and enhancing entrepreneurs’ business skills. To this end, LIFE will improve livelihoods, strengthen microfinance activities and advance inclusive finance. LIFE will expand inclusive finance to the unbanked and higher-risk, micro business clientele.

USAID Livelihoods and Inclusive Finance Expansion (LIFE)
REQUEST FOR APPLICATION (RFA) #9

Palladium is seeking applications from qualified Commercial Banks to collaborate as partners under the USAID/Lebanon Livelihoods and Inclusive Financial Expansion (LIFE) Project. Palladium is implementing the project under contract with USAID Contract Number: AID-268-C-16-00002.

Palladium is seeking applications from qualified MFIs-Financial Institutions to implement - as recipients - for the Microcredit Component under USAID “Livelihoods and Inclusive Finance Expansion” (LIFE) Project.

Palladium is implementing USAID LIFE Project under contract with USAID Contract Number: AID-268-C-16-00002

Palladium is seeking applications from qualified Non-Governmental Organizations to implement, as recipients, for the Livelihoods Component under “USAID Livelihoods and Inclusive Finance Expansion (LIFE) Project”. Palladium is implementing USAID LIFE Project under contract with USAID Contract Number: AID-268-C-16-00002.

Palladium is seeking applications from qualified Non-Governmental Organizations to implement, as recipients, for the Livelihoods Component under “USAID Livelihoods and Inclusive Finance Expansion (LIFE) Project”. Palladium is implementing USAID LIFE Project under contract with USAID Contract Number: AID-268-C-16-00002.

LIFE is responding to this turbulence within the microfinance sector through funding and investing in the digitization of financial services and Fintech solutions that would allow small scale MFIs to reduce their transaction costs, manage their portfolio, funds, and decrease defaulting loan payments, among others.

Investing in digital financial services “DFS” and fintech solutions will allow small MFIs to reach more people at lower cost and with a greater convenience than traditional “Brick and Mortar” operations.

LIFE will use grants to assist the MFIs which have retained ‘NGO-nonprofit’ status with limited outstanding capital. This grant plans to stimulate the market outreach of these Lebanese Microfinance Institutions for unbanked people in untapped geographical areas of Lebanon through the support for loan officers to garner new micro-credit accounts to support start-up and existing micro-enterprises within vulnerable communities.

The Expression of Interest will enable STEP to identify BDS providers who could be contracted to implement technical assistance activities for the project. By participating in the EOI, interested BDS providers may become part of a network of organizations selected to deliver the technical assistance needs of STEP targeting SMEs across Lebanon.   

 STEP Digital Portal Brief

Program Overview