| Overview : The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is the UN’s capital investment agency for the world’s least developed countries. It creates new opportunities for poor people and their communities by increasing access to development finance and investment capital. UNCDF focuses on Africa and the poorest countries of Asia, with a special commitment to countries emerging from conflict or crisis. It provides seed capital – grants and loans– and technical support to help development finance institutions reach more poor households and small businesses, and local governments finance the capital investments – water systems, feeder roads, schools, irrigation schemes – that will improve poor peoples’ lives.
The Local Development Finance Initiative (LFI) is an innovative global programme of the UN Capital Development Fund designed to unlock domestic financial sectors in developing countries for financing small and medium-sized infrastructure and agriculture-processing projects that are needed for local economic and private sector development.
Scope and expected outputs:
The LFI Programme aims to improve the ability and willingness of the relevant stakeholders to use domestic finance for local economic development (LED) and to create the foundation of experience for sustained participation of the domestic financial sector in LED.
Key Tasks and Activities:
The Technical Service Provider will support UNCDF in pursuing the key results of the programme in two countries: Tanzania and Uganda for a period of up to 3 years, focusing on the following key function areas:
(1) Developing financially viable small scale infrastructure projects
(2) Capacity-building and knowledge management; and
(3) Programmatic Quality Assurance and Reporting
Key Functions and Outputs:
1. Developing Financially Viable Small Scale Infrastructure Projects (60%)
Outputs:
1.1 Completed drafts of legal documents for closing on one project, including bank offering memorandum
1.2 Completed drafts of legal documents for closing on two projects, including bank offering memorandum
1.3 Two additional projects advancing through technical studies, due diligence assessment and financial structuring
1.4 Facilitation of project negotiations with financial institutions
2. Capacity Building and Knowledge Management (30%)
Outputs:
2.1 Outline of training program for UNCDF staff
2.2 Outline of capacity building program for project sponsors, government partners and local technical service providers, including a “Project Finance Approach for Small Scale Infrastructure Projects” Toolkit
2.3 Implementation of training programs, (utilizing Project Finance Toolkit)
2.4 UNCDF Regional and Country staff training
2.5 “Train the trainer” modules, case studies and training materials to be posted on UNCDF website
2.6 Project Finance Toolkit for project sponsors to be finalized and up loaded to UNCDF and government websites
3. Programmatic Quality Assurance and Reporting (10%)
Outputs:
3.1 First Year Learning Implementation Plan
3.2 Case Study on LFI Supported Project
Detailed RFP is attached. | 
