Stronger value chains. Green transition. Access to finance.

Description

This Green Climate Fund (GCF) Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF) Facility is a framework operation of up to 70 million EUR provided through participating financial institutions (PFIs). It aims to enhance EBRD’s strategic priority in Egypt to support the economy’s private sector competitiveness through stronger value chains and improved access to finance (A2F) for SMEs.

It also supports Egypt’s transition to a green economy through energy and resource savings achieved through the capital expenditure (capex) investments in eligible SMEs to enhance their competitiveness and support value chain development and trade.

The eligible SMEs include aggregators of value chains, such as exporters, local processing companies, manufacturing services, logistics, ICT, and agribusinesses. Participating SMEs receive a technical cooperation (TC) package to build their capacity.

The Value Chain Consultancy Objectives are  

• To effectively implement the loan Facility and support Sub-projects (SMEs) in contributing to improvements in productivity and strengthening their integration in value chains by adopting high-performing green technology
• To build SMEs’ capacity to have better integrated high-performing value chains and facilitate their access to finance  to increase competitiveness
• To raise awareness of green technology investments to contribute to the creation of a demand-driven, self-sustaining market for investments in high performance technologies and services, supporting green economy
• to raise PFIs capacity to implement facility and promote green investments in SMEs
• to support PFIs in marketing the facility to borrowers through marketing plans.

Services

Establishing Operational Tools/Guidelines based on EBRD and EU Requirements

• Write-up of Operations Manual (including eligibility checklist, list of results indicators and benchmarks, questionnaire for sub-borrowers, monitoring and reporting templates, sub-project lifecycle, EBRD’s ESP, communication procedures, visibility requirements and marketing guidance)
• Write-up of Quality Assurance Manual

Marketing and Awareness Raising Activities

• Preparing a marketing plan with EBRD
• Developing marketing materials and dissemination thereof with potential sub-borrowers
• Facilitate marketing events to increase outreach top potential sub-borrowers, relevant stakeholders (inc. donors)

Product Development

• Review the PFIs’ customer base and develop accordingly a pipeline of eligible Sub-projects
• Develop customising tailored lending products to address SME value chain and – where required, green economy – financing in the long-term.
• Provide backstopping support, clarifications and technical advice on the eligibility of specific SME value chain Subprojects
• Development of loan procedures for PFIs, screening of loan applications, and customer base of PFIs

Training & Capacity Building

• Capacity building and relationship building with PFIs to support green economy investments and SME value chain investments.

Monitoring and Reporting

• Ensure accurate tracking, monitoring and reporting of required Sub-project and Sub-borrower related data under the Facility