News

Call for Expressions of Interest: Quantifying the Impact of MFI Digitization 

 

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 8, 2025 — CGAP invites microfinance institutions (MFIs) that have implemented significant digitization efforts to express interest in participating in CGAP’s initiative, Quantifying the Impact of MFI Digitization. The initiative aims to capture the impact of digitization on MFIs and explore the degree to which it can unlock transformational improvements—rather than incremental ones—in unit economics, operational efficiency, product relevance, and service quality.  

 

CGAP will focus on understanding how different digital levers and enabling conditions contribute to advancing financial inclusion in its: 

  • Breadth, by reducing cost-to-serve and shortening turnaround times to profitably reach smaller, riskier, and more remote client segments 
  • Depth, by improving data-driven risk assessment and customer relationship management to support a wider set of tailored products beyond traditional working-capital loans 
  • Utility, by converting efficiency gains into better pricing, more reliable experiences, and products that align with client needs and usage patterns, contributing to broader financial health. 

 

This initiative, which is open to 6 to 8 MFIs, aims to generate evidence in the form of quantitative and qualitative insights to facilitate the allocation of capital to digitalization agendas.  

 

Submissions of expressions of interest (EOI) close on January 2, 2026. Selected MFIs will join a CGAP facilitated peer learning exchange at the end of the engagement, and their cases will be featured in a CGAP publication in Q3 2026. 

 

Who CGAP is looking for 

CGAP welcomes applications from MFIs across the digital maturity spectrum—including those early in their digitization journey with clear intent and structured initiatives—that: 

  •  Provide small, short-tenor productive loans to individuals, microenterprises, and micro/small household businesses (deposit-taking or credit-only) 
  • Pursue digitization across multiple functions (e.g., digital channels, automation, analytics, MIS improvements, and others) 
  • Track operational and customer-level metrics related to digitization and are willing to share high-level data (with appropriate protections) to demonstrate the quantitative impact in their business (i.e. “before” and “after”)  
  • Are interested in reflecting on their digitization journey, its drivers, and its impact, and in benchmarking their experience against peers 
  • Designate a senior focal point to coordinate interviews, provide clarifications, and facilitate internal access. 
  • Commit ~2 hours per week over 4–6 weeks for virtual engagements 
  • Contribute to blogs or case snapshots if and as needed 

 

What MFIs gain from engaging with CGAP 

CGAP is an independent and neutral convening platform with broad reach across financial service providers, policymakers, investors, funders, and industry networks. 

 

Selected MFIs will benefit from: 

  • Strategic reflection and benchmarking: Use CGAP’s structured lines of inquiry to better articulate digitization strategy, milestones, challenges, and impact 
  • Visibility and exposure: Feature in CGAP knowledge products, like reports, case studies, and blogs, and reach influential sector stakeholders 
  • Peer learning: Participate in a final CGAP-facilitated virtual or in-person exchange to compare models, challenges, and lessons learned with regional and global peers 
  • Contribution to sector-wide discovery: Help shape an emerging understanding of which pathways and preconditions enable transformational digitization, informing future global agendas 

 

Key dates and activities  

  • 12 – 23 January 2026: 1:1 exploratory calls | CGAP conducts interviews with selected MFIs to unpack digitization initiatives and clarify focus of engagement.  
  • 12 January – 28 Feb: Data sharing and clarification | Selected MFIs share certain operational or customer metrics with CGAP’s vendor under appropriate data-protection protocols followed by an iterative exchange to ensure indicators are correctly interpreted.  
  • 11 March 2026: Synthesis virtual workshop | CGAP presents emerging themes, consistent findings, and initial messaging to selected MFIs. 
  • 6 April 2026: Peer learning exchange | Virtual or in-person facilitated session to reflect jointly on pathways, prerequisites, and implications.  
  • 29 May 2026: CGAP knowledge product | Insights, patterns, and directional findings are shared with the broader sector. 

How to apply

Please complete the application form by 2 January 2026 and include contact details for an institutional focal point for follow-up.

If you have any questions, please reach out via eoi@cgap.org.