| Overview : Despite weak institutional and policy support, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) remain key drivers of economic growth and job opportunities in Sub Sharan Africa (SSA). COVID19 pandemic intensified pre-existing challenges of this vital segment of the economy, especially in relation to access to finance. A recent survey by the International Trade Center (ITC) focusing on francophone Africa shows that 63% to 79% of MSMEs have experienced loss of revenue and 32% of MSMEs consider the risk of shutting down within 6 months. Zooming into the Union Economique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA) region, a survey carried out by the Chambre Consulaire Regionale (CCR)[1] finds that due to loss of revenue, 71% of MSMEs are concerned about their ability to recover economically from the pandemic. While immediate relief measures were adopted throughout the UEMOA region, often in the form of temporary tax exemptions as well as direct disbursements and/or payment of arrears (typically utility and related) their relatively short-term in nature appears insufficient to alleviate MSMEs concerns. However, there are significant body of knowledge and experiences in the market that could be adopted and scaled up by governments to bridge MSMEs financing gap. In order to garner support from Governments, Development Finance Institutions (DFI), development partners and the private actors, the UNDP in Africa in partnership with the Government of Benin and BADEA will organize a public-private dialogue (PPD) under the theme of Financing strategies and practical solutions for COVID-19 relief, recovery and resilience of MSMEs and Informal Enterprises in UEMOA region. This PPD is aimed at showcasing solutions successfully implemented in SSA to address the supply and demand side bottlenecks, identify best-practices of collaborative interventions involving the public sector, the private sector, traditional and innovative financial service providers, development partners and DFIs. The dialogue will purposefully aim at determining entry-points and formulating an appropriate strategy to scale-up the identified tools and ultimately improve the functioning of financial markets for MSMEs and informal enterprises.Impact de la pandémie de Covid-19 sur le secteur privé de l’UEMOA, Chambre Consulaire Régionale de l’UEMOA, 2020. The consultant is therefore required to map out and identify successfully implemented MSMEs targeted financing strategies, models and tools including de-risking mechanisms to mention a few. The assignment also involves mapping of relevant stakeholders involved in digital finance market and documenting case studies and information on fintech and e-ecommerce solutions for discussion at the PPD for adoption and scale up as part of COVID19 MSMEs recovery effort. (For detailed information can be found in the terms of references) | 
