Have you been thinking of ways to make your business or community more resilient to natural disasters?
The CCIR Blended Finance Mechanism is now accepting applications in Saint Lucia!
Access:
- Blended Capital
- Advisory Services
- Partnership Opportunities
Who we fund
We fund investments in disaster resilience that produce real returns on investment.
We are looking to make investments in small-, and medium-sized enterprises, as well as initiatives or projects with revenue streams and organizations seeking to make capital investments that will produce a rate of return.
What we offer
- Blended Capital
Selected applicants will receive financing, either through grants, debt, or equity, depending on capital needs.
- Business Advisory Support
We can support you with business advisory service workshops, seminars, and connections with consultants.
Sessions may include topics such as business continuity planning, conducting a SWOT analysis, and how to craft an investment pitch.
- Partnership Opportunities
We can connect you with high-level contacts for collaboration on building your business and/or community’s disaster resilience.
How does the application process work?
This is a multi-stage application process, with a concept note followed by a full application and an opportunity to pitch to investors.
In stage one, you will submit a concept note to a committee, to be evaluated against a set of evaluation criteria . If selected, you will be notified of the opportunity to participate in the full application process (stage two).
Once selected, at stage two, you will be able to participate in training workshops and be invited to submit a full application, to be evaluated against another set of criteria. Training will include topics such as business continuity planning, conducting a SWOT analysis, and crafting an investment pitch, as well as Q&A sessions on the full application process.
If your full application is selected, at stage three, you will have the opportunity to make a pitch to potential investors.
You can apply here: Application to CCIR Business Competition 2022
Dates and Deadlines
The application opens May 15th.
How funding decisions are made
At the concept note stage, applicants will be evaluated based on:
- Basic eligibility criteria:
- Operating in eligible country
- Completed the concept note application
- Addressing disaster resilience needs
Applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be reviewed.
- Applications that will make a significant contribution to resilience to disasters and that address one or more of the following challenge areas will be prioritized:
- Multi-sector coordination for crisis response: Potential solutions may include improvements to crisis communication, connectivity challenges, and awareness and education for disaster preparedness and response.
- Business continuity planning: Potential solutions may include building supply chain resilience, providing care for employees (HR & finance considerations), and investment in and design of recovery plans for businesses, especially SMEs.
- Supply chain support: Potential solutions may include cross-industry or cross-island support and/or coordination.
- Applications should include measurable and achievable deadlines and deliverables. These deliverables should correspond with the amount of funding requested and revenue for last fiscal year.
During the full application stage, applicants will be evaluated based on:
- Quality of business vision/plan
- Current and historical operating record and financial information
- Clear need and use for funds shown
- Standardized financial projections
- Statement of impact of funds on business and community
- Clear path to repayment
About CCIR
USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) has long recognized the critical role the private sector plays in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. Before and after a disaster strikes, the private sector has unique expertise and access – to people, assets, and relationships – that can help to save lives and build resilience.
The CCIR Blended Finance Mechanism is designed by the BHA to identify and invest in enterprises and projects in the Eastern Caribbean that support community resilience to disasters.
The CCIR Blended Finance Mechanism aims to use blended finance approaches to mobilize capital for investment in disaster risk reduction activities in the Eastern Caribbean. The pilot project will identify enterprises or projects for potential investment that provide economic and social returns and investments in communities in which the companies and USAID operate. This project will pilot a sustainable and scalable mechanism for investments in resilience for potential scalability.
A scalable mechanism will allow…
- More private capital to flow towards investments in resilience, contributing to sustainability after the end of grant funding,
- The private sector (particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises) will become more resilient to disasters,
- A more resilient private sector will promote broader economic recovery,
- These economies and communities will have the ability to recover from disasters more rapidly and effectively.
Contact Us
Have more questions? Check out the recording of our launch event (to be added) where we go through the process in more detail.
You can also contact us at contact@ccirblendedfinance.com.