Uwezo Fund – How to Apply for Uwezo Fund

How to Apply for Uwezo Fund

The Uwezo Fund is a flagship program for vision 2030 aimed at enabling women, youth and persons with disability access finances to promote businesses and enterprises at the constituency level, thereby enhancing economic growth towards the realization of the same and the Millennium Development Goals No.1 (eradicate extreme poverty and hunger) and 3 (promote gender equality and empower women). The Fund was launched by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Kenya on 8th September 2013 and enacted through a Legal Notice No. 21 of the Public Finance Management Act, 2014, and published on 21st February 2014.

Eligibility Criteria for Applicants.

Applicants shall qualify for Fund loan application if

(a) For a group

1.  Is registered with the department of social services, Cooperatives or the Registrar of Societies
2.  Have members aged between 18 and 35 years whereas the women’s groups shall be made up of women aged eighteen years and above
3.  Is based and operational at the constituency it seeks to make an application for consideration
4.  Operates a table banking structure or any other group fund structure where members make monthly contributions according to the groups’ internal guidelines (evidence of monthly contributions shall be a requirement);
5. Hold a bank account in the name of the group.

(b) For an institution

1.  Is a registered entity
2.  Has listed youth and women groups within it.

How to apply

ELIGIBLE AMOUNT

(a) For administration of the Fund:-

1.  The access by eligible groups of the Fund shall be on a first-come-first-served basis, subject to assessment and approval of the loan, provided that the Committee shall ensure equitable distribution of funds in the wards
2.  Eligible qualifying amounts for a group shall be a minimum of fifty thousand 50,000) and a maximum of five hundred thousand (500,000) shillings at any one time.

(b) In determining the total amount a group is eligible to receive, the following criteria shall be applied:-

1. The length of time the group has been in existence
2. The total amount contributed by the group
3.  The current status of contribution and
4.  The proposed business plan for the loan applied

NB: The eligible amount shall be three times the group savings BUT it shall not be:-

1. Below Kshs. 50,000 (Minimum),
2. More than the amount applied for in the application form and
3. More than Kshs. 500,000 (Maximum)