SANAD takes a holistic approach to its mission by combining financing with technical assistance. Rapidly growing populations and limited opportunities for employment across the region make entrepreneurship an important avenue toward establishing stable livelihoods for many. Through targeted nonfinancial support, SANAD helps create an enabling environment for entrepreneurs in the Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and select countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
The SANAD Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) works closely with partners to conduct projects that equip the fund’s beneficiaries with the knowledge and tools necessary to best serve – and improve the potential of – entrepreneurs. The TAF also develops the capacity of the financial sector across the region, and in some cases works collaboratively with entrepreneurs to help them succeed in their business.
Total project volume approved
Technical assistance beneficiaries
Technical Assistance Facility Number of Projects Approved
Partners rated the Technical Assistance Facility as being an ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’ partner
Figures as of:
To deploy effective, targeted and innovative technical assistance measures to maximize the impact and outreach of the fund’s development finance mandate in target countries and to MSMEs.
Projects are developed based on the need of partners and the need of the sectors in which they work.
Project development, procurement of consultants, and project implementation is conducted together with partners, who share ownership and a portion of the cost for the work supporting their development.
The central goal of each project is to advance the sustainable development of the partners business and reinforce its service to end-clients.
The Technical Assistance Facility promotes entrepreneurship and MSME development in the fund’s target regions to contribute to income generation and employment creation. Through its SANAD Entrepreneurship Academy, the Technical Assistance Facility provides entrepreneurs and their businesses with guidance, resources, mentoring, networking opportunities, the chance to receive financial backing, and other means necessary to turn good ideas into successful enterprises.
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Focusing on increasing economic opportunity and equality of female entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa region, is core to the Technical Assistance Facility, especially in the fields of technology and digital innovation. SANAD Technical Assistance Facility provides hands-on support to partner institutions through its women entrepreneurs support program. For more information, please refer to our support program brochure here.
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Working collaboratively with its partner institutions, the Technical Assistance Facility created a framework that support and encourage institutions’ development in digital transformation, and focus on leveraging digital solutions.
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As the threat of climate crisis becomes more evident across the SANAD Fund's region, supporting partners to address their path to sustainability, address developing regulatory requirements, and conceptualizing climate risk is of utmost importance.
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The Technical Assistance Facility works to further increase agri-finance outreach, engages actively in ecosystem-building agri-finance projects, especially in the Middle East and North Africa regions.
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Economies and society remain challenged by the negative impacts from the numerous crises. In that context, it is of particular importance to have a robust and resilient risk management framework that adheres to best practice and can support the institution to weather the current crises.
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2023 PROJECT SUMMARY
With support from the European Union
Here is a list of projects from 2023 under the SANAD Fund for MSME's Technical Assistance Facility, supported by the European Union. More information can be found here.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND MSME DEVELOPMENT
Partnership with Mowgli Mentoring
The SANAD Entrepreneurship Academy teamed up with Mowgli Mentoring to boost the success of Syrian and Lebanese microentrepreneurs through an intensive mentorship program. In the course of nine months, thirteen entrepreneurs benefitted from ongoing support from their mentors guiding them through the process of establishing or running their businesses.
More projects and information can be found on our Entrepreneurship Academy page.
DIGITALIZATION
Vital Digital Transformation with a partner institution
Promoting further digitalization at partners and end-borrowers level as a crucial pre-requisite for recovery in the post-COVID 19 environment is a key activity of the Technical Assistance Facility. One example is the large-scale digitalization project conducted with a partner institution to revamp their central IT infrastructure for both efficiency and effectiveness in serving these clients, including the ability to collaborate with local financial technology providers to expand financial inclusion.
AGRICULTURAL FINANCE
Development of an Agricultural Credit Risk Assessment and Evaluation System ACERS with I-Score
Working together with the Egyptian Credit Bureau (I-Score), the Technical Assistance Facility conducted a project to introduce an automated ‘’Agricultural Credit Evaluation and Risk Assessment System (ACERS)’’. Through this system, I-SCORE is aiming to provide a functional service for the banks to allocate more funds to the agricultural sector.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION - WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT
Partnership with Womenpreneur Tour
Since 2019, the SANAD Entrepreneurship Academy joined forces with nonprofit organization Womenpreneur Initiative to map and visit female talents in technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The goal of the tour is to assess the current state of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the MENA region in order to facilitate investment in women and girls, in form of capital, resources, mentorship and advocacy. The Womenpreneur Tour has already visited 5 countries in the MENA region: Morocco, Tunisia and Jordan in 2019 and Algeria and Egypt in 2022. Visit www.womenpreneur-tour.com for more information, including media and insights into how we can advance women in tech.
SUSTAINABILITY
Implement training program on Environmental & Social Management
By implementing a training program on the Environmental & Social Management System for a partner institution in Morocco, the Technical Assistance Facility was able to support the ongoing implementation of the institution’s sustainability strategy. The training program enabled the institution to better understanding of E&S risks, which is now working towards integrating these formally in the credit risk assessment.
RISK MANAGEMENT
Reinforcing Risk Management Function for a partner in Jordan
A partner institution was able to reinforce its risk management function, develop necessary policies, processes, and procedures to reflect the changes related to the restructuring of its MSMEs lending operations, thanks to the support provided by the Technical Assistance Facility. The project also provided the institution with best practice risk management tools to address and successfully manage other areas in their risk management system.
Finance in Motion, a leading impact asset manager based in Frankfurt, Germany, and exclusively focused on development finance, acts as the fund’s advisor.
Bidders who have been invited to submit a proposal may download the procurement documents here:
There are currently no open tenders.
Finance in Motion GmbH
Kateryna Morton
Carl-von-Noorden-Platz 5
60596 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
T +49 (0) 69 271 035-352
E k.morton@finance-in-motion.com
