Empowering Women: Financial and Technical Support for African SMEs

The programme’s focus areas include strengthening the private sector’s commitment to women as economic actors, increasing private and public sector investment in women-owned SMEs and other enterprises that create economic opportunities for women, reducing systemic gender inequalities in high environmental impact markets and the private sector, improving access to finance for SMEs and local financial institutions, providing targeted technical assistance for business development and gender mainstreaming, promoting the economic, social, and environmental benefits of investing in women, and incentivizing the sustainable adoption of climate-smart practices.

Funding for SMEs is available as soft loans or non-repayable grants, with allocations ranging from CAD 50,000 to CAD 750,000, either as a mix of grants and loans or 100% loans. Financial institutions and intermediaries may apply for concessionary loans or non-repayable grants, with funding ranging from CAD 100,000 to CAD 1,000,000, depending on the level of development and the type of support requested.

Eligible applicants include local private sector companies, financial institutions, or financial intermediaries operating or intending to operate in Benin and Burkina Faso. Companies must be at least 51% women-owned or have majority female management and workforce representation in employees, suppliers, or distributors. Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to match the AECF contribution, comply with national and international laws, uphold gender equality and women’s empowerment, integrate climate change mitigation or adaptation into their products or services, and be legally registered and operational in Benin or Burkina Faso for at least two full financial years. Applicants must also have no involvement in corruption or activities prohibited by the governments of Benin or Burkina Faso, including terrorism, money laundering, or prohibited trade.

For more information, visit AECF.