Business Excellence 2019

42 Acquisition International - 2019 Business Excellence Awards Best Women’s Business Entrepreneurial Support Program - Uganda Drawing on more than 55 years’ experience in the market, dfcu is an innovative bank supporting a wide range of clients and offering a range of programmes designed to help support growth in the Ugandan economy. We profile the firm and turn the spotlight on its award-winning women’s business support programme. stablished in 1964, dfcu was designed as a development finance institution. dfcu Bank is the banking branch of the group and has been successfully serving the nation especially promoting SMEs and women in business. For many years dfcu has been associated with many success stories in Uganda’s economy. Today the bank runs a wide range of programmes supporting the region, including its own award-winning development programme aimed at supporting women in the country. In partnership with Daily Monitor and Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), dfcu has been carrying out free business trainings for women entrepreneurs across the country. This vital support helps service users to gain independence and greater understanding of the business market, allowing them to play a meaningful role in their country’s corporate landscape. As a result of this, it supports both the individuals involved in the programme and Uganda’s business market. The bank also works hard to support SMEs in Uganda. Recently French Development Finance Institution, Proparco, has arranged a USD 30 Million senior debt facility to support dfcu Bank’s efforts to bridge the long-term financing gap for SMEs. Proparco and dfcu Bank have had a long-term partnership that has seen Proparco extend a series of facilities to the bank since 2005. The current facility is the 5th transaction with the bank. This testifies to Proparco’s long term commitment to supporting SMEs in developing countries and to the deepening of the financial sector in Uganda. E The recent USD 30m fund will go towards financing SMEs in similar sectors with emphasis on businesses with foreign currency earnings potential, with the aim of boosting the country’s export earnings. Overall, dfcu’s vision is to be the preferred financial institution providing a broad range of quality products to its chosen customer segments. This will remain the bank’s ongoing focus as it looks towards a bright future, and the bank’s team are excited about the prospect of exciting developments for both the institution as a whole and its women’s support programme. Company: dfcu | Contact: Victoria Byenkya Website: https://dfcugroup.com/ “Best Women’s Business Entrepreneurial Support Program - Uganda”