One of the newly onboarded participating financial institutions include UGAFODE
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The expansion of participating financial institutions under the GROW Loan facility is set to significantly improve access to affordable credit for women entrepreneurs across Uganda, according to the latest quarterly report.
The report (October–December 2025), issued by the Private Sector Foundation Uganda, highlights the onboarding of four new participating financial institutions (PFIs), a move expected to deepen outreach and bring services closer to underserved women.
“The initial six (6) PFIs continued to implement the GROW Loan, including Centenary Bank, DFCU, Equity Bank, Finance Trust Bank, Post Bank and Stanbic Bank,” the report states. It adds that, “in year two four additional banks were cleared to implement the GFF. These include Pride Bank, Opportunity Bank, UGAFODE and EBB SACCO.”
The inclusion of these new institutions expands the distribution network of the GROW Loan, particularly benefiting women in rural and hard-to-reach areas who often face barriers in accessing formal financial services. By increasing the number of PFIs, the programme is effectively decentralising access points, allowing more women entrepreneurs to tap into the facility.
The report further underscores that this expansion is complemented by policy adjustments aimed at inclusivity. “Worth noting is the World Bank clearance of the reduction of the GROW minimum amount to UGX 2 million and one million for the refugees and women in Refugee Hosting Districts (RHDs), effective November 2025. This is intended to increase access of the GROW Loan among the vulnerable groups including refugees.”
With more financial institutions on board and lower entry thresholds, the GROW Loan is becoming increasingly accessible to women operating micro and small enterprises who previously could not meet higher borrowing requirements.
Government commitment to the programme also remains strong. The report notes that “the amount of funds approved by Government of Uganda for disbursement to fourteen PFIs is Shs 164,962,000,000 (USD 43.44 million) for three years participating agreement.” To date, Shs 95.2 billion has already been disbursed to PFIs under the credit line.
Although the newly onboarded PFIs had not yet issued loans during the reporting period, their presence is expected to accelerate uptake in subsequent quarters. Meanwhile, the existing institutions have continued to drive disbursement, with thousands of women already benefiting.
Cumulatively, 4,445 GROW loans have been issued across three funding levels, reaching women entrepreneurs in 124 districts and 13 cities. However, the report notes that there are still eight districts where no woman has accessed the facility, further underscoring the importance of expanding the PFI network.
As the programme scales up, the addition of new financial institutions is expected to close these gaps, ensuring that more women—regardless of location—can access the capital needed to grow their businesses and improve livelihoods.
