Digital Financial Service Lab

We are pleased to let you know that we have recently conducted 3 different researches with the technical assistance of Innovation Consultancy.

Titled:
1. Innovations in Digital Financial services for MSMEs in Bangladesh.
2. Financial Literacy in Bangladesh: A Gender-Specific Analysis of National Status.
3. Understanding Financial Inclusion: A demand-side study on the uptake and usage of financial services among the poor population in Bangladesh.

These reports will give you some crucial insights into the

1) Recent advancements in digital financial services for Bangladeshi MSMEs.
2) Current scenario of financial literacy from a gender perspective.
3) Existing financial services utilized by the underprivileged & how it is impacting the financial inclusion of Bangladesh.

All three reports are now available on our a2i website. If you want to learn more about it, you may take a look at it. The links are as follows:

https://a2i.gov.bd/a2i-publications/innovision_report-on-msme-dfs
https://a2i.gov.bd/a2i-publications/gender-centric-financial-digital-literacy-assessment
https://a2i.gov.bd/a2i-publications/understanding-financial-inclusion

On October 2, 2023, a2i hosted a workshop at the ICT Tower Agargaon in Dhaka, titled "Discussion and Consultation Workshop with Regulatory Agencies and Policy Makers on the Implementation of the National Financial Inclusion Scorecard." This event received technical assistance from Microsave Consulting (MSC).

The workshop brought together key representatives from significant organizations, including the Bangladesh Bank, Finance Division, Economic Relations Department, Microcredit Regulatory Authority, Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission, Insurance Development and Regulatory Authorities, as well as various other government bodies.

The primary objective of utilizing this Financial Inclusion Scorecard (FI Scorecard) is to empower decision-makers with enhanced tools for formulating more suitable policies. These policies aim to bridge gender disparities, provide essential financial services to the underprivileged, and promote the growth of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.

Witness the brightest minds in the Fintech industry as they showcase their game-changing solutions that will reshape the financial landscape!

The award giving ceremony of the Fintech Innovation Challenge was a phenomenal showcase of financial Innovation. We congratulate the winners and applaud every participant for their outstanding ideas that will transform financial services in Bangladesh and beyond.

The winners were selected as the best entrepreneurs based on three innovative ideas contributions to gender-sensitive and women-friendly financial solutions, financial inclusion, and reducing financial vulnerabilities for CMSMEs. FinLab BD, a joint effort of a2i - Aspire to Innovate, UN Capital Development Fund, and MicroSave organized the event, celebrating the winners of the ‘Women's Financial Inclusion Challenge’ and the ‘Enabling access to finance for CMSMEs Challenge’. The startup's Dana Fintech, Mutual Trust Bank Ltd., and Apon Wellbeing Ltd received funding of BDT 75 lakhs, BDT 50.75 lakhs, and BDT 50 lakhs, respectively. FinLab BD will extend continuous support and monitoring for the implementation of their ideas, under the supervision and technical guidance of the Regulatory Fintech Facilitation Office (RFFO) of Bangladesh Bank.

Witness the brightest minds in the Fintech industry as they showcase their game-changing solutions that will reshape the financial landscape!

The award giving ceremony of the Fintech Innovation Challenge was a phenomenal showcase of financial Innovation. We congratulate the winners and applaud every participant for their outstanding ideas that will transform financial services in Bangladesh and beyond.

The winners were selected as the best entrepreneurs based on three innovative ideas contributions to gender-sensitive and women-friendly financial solutions, financial inclusion, and reducing financial vulnerabilities for CMSMEs. FinLab BD, a joint effort of a2i - Aspire to Innovate, UN Capital Development Fund, and MicroSave organized the event, celebrating the winners of the ‘Women's Financial Inclusion Challenge’ and the ‘Enabling access to finance for CMSMEs Challenge’. The startup's Dana Fintech, Mutual Trust Bank Ltd, and Apon Wellbeing received funding of BDT 75 lakhs, BDT 50.75 lakhs, and BDT 50 lakhs, respectively. FinLab BD will extend continuous support and monitoring for the implementation of their ideas, under the supervision and technical guidance of the Regulatory Fintech Facilitation Office (RFFO) of Bangladesh Bank.

a2i and 10 reputed fintech institutions of the country recently convened for the Ekpay Partner's Meetup, followed by a significant MoU signing ceremony. The purpose of this MoU was to establish a collaboration between a2i and the fintech institutions, aiming to integrate all types of service fees through Ekpay across diverse fintech platforms.