Deadline: 30 June 2015
The US$150,000 MasterCard Foundation Clients at the Centre Prize is looking for the most innovative, impactful and sustainable way in which a company puts “clients at the centre” to promote financial inclusion for poor people in the world’s developing countries. The Prize shines a light on best practices in financial services that make client needs and wants a priority. Companies or organizations that receive the Prize will ensure client voices are most influential in driving business strategies and decisions.
The MasterCard Foundation Clients at the Centre Prize is a US$150,000 cash award. There is also consulting support of up to US$50,000 to expand or reinforce client-centric practices within the winning organization. Between three and five finalist companies will each be invited to send a senior representative to present the organization’s proposals to peers and industry professionals at the 2015 MasterCard Foundation Symposium on Financial Inclusion, being held November 19-20 in Cape Town, South Africa. The audience will vote on who will be the eventual winner of the Prize.
Eligible Countries
Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Cote Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Macedonia, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Suriname, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Key Dates
- April 27 – The MasterCard Foundation Clients at the Centre Prize opens for applications
- June 30 – Deadline for all applications to be submitted
- September 30 – Finalists notified
- November 20 – Finalists present their proposals in Cape Town, South Africa and winner is announced.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must be registered organisations operating anywhere in the world, and direct providers of financial products and services to low-income populations in developing countries.
- Applications must focus on their business practices that better the poor, most vulnerable and economically disadvantaged people within any of the developing countries eligible for the Prize
- Applicants can be traditional financial service providers (commercial banks, microfinance institutions, or companies providing non-bank products and services such as leasing or insurance companies), or emerging players such as mobile network providers, IT or mobile-enabled technology companies, agribusinesses that provide financial services, or others. Please note that The MasterCard Foundation cannot partner with government agencies
How to Apply
Applicants can apply online through the website.
For more information, please visit MasterCard Foundation Call.
