Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence are reshaping digital finance, yet 1.4 billion people—mostly in developing countries and disproportionately women—still lack access to basic financial services. Mercy Corps Ventures (MCV) has launched the “AI for Financial Resilience” call for proposals to support solutions that use AI, blockchain and other emerging technologies to expand financial inclusion and strengthen economic resilience for unbanked and underbanked populations in emerging markets.
Program Snapshot
- Organizer: Mercy Corps Ventures (MCV)
- Program Name: Call for Proposals: AI for Financial Resilience
- Focus Area: AI- and emerging tech–enabled financial products for unbanked and underbanked users
- Primary Regions:
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Latin America and the Caribbean
- Other emerging markets
- Application Window:
- Opens: 4 November 2025
- Closes: 1 December 2025
The Problem the Program Targets
- Scale of Exclusion
- 1.4 billion people remain unbanked, primarily in developing countries
- Women are disproportionately excluded from formal financial systems
- Access & Usage Gaps
- Limited reach of financial services for:
- Rural communities
- Low-income populations
- Women and other underserved user segments
- Limited reach of financial services for:
- ID, Data & Credit History Constraints
- Lack of:
- Formal identification
- Reliable user data
- Trackable credit histories
- These gaps restrict lending to unbanked individuals and MSMEs
- Lack of:
- Affordability & Sustainability Issues
- High costs of delivering financial services to marginalized and remote communities
- Challenges in making inclusive financial products commercially viable at scale
- Trust & Digital Literacy Barriers
- Skepticism toward digital products and financial institutions
- Low levels of digital literacy, especially among first-time users
- Climate Vulnerability
- Climate shocks (heatwaves, droughts, floods) disproportionately impact low-income communities
- Between 68–135 million additional people in emerging markets risk being pushed into extreme poverty by 2030 due to climate impacts
- Livelihood loss and instability increase the need for climate-resilient financial tools
Program Vision and Objectives
- Expand Financial Inclusion & Resilience
- Support AI, blockchain and emerging-tech solutions that:
- Improve access to:
- Insurance
- Credit
- Savings
- Remittances and emergency payments
- Make financial services more inclusive, affordable, and user-friendly for unbanked people
- Improve access to:
- Support AI, blockchain and emerging-tech solutions that:
- Bridge Climate Resilience and Financial Access
- Encourage products that help vulnerable communities:
- Anticipate and withstand climate shocks
- Recover from income disruptions
- Build long-term resilience through tailored financial protection mechanisms
- Encourage products that help vulnerable communities:
- Generate Evidence & Share Learnings
- Pilot and scale promising models across markets
- Produce insights, case studies, and best practices
- Inform future investment strategies and ecosystem building for inclusive fintech
Types of Solutions Sought
- Focus on Unbanked & Underbanked Users
- Products must clearly serve:
- Unbanked individuals
- Underbanked populations
- Low-income and climate-vulnerable communities
- Products must clearly serve:
- Use of AI and Emerging Technologies
- Solutions may leverage:
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning
- Blockchain and tokenization
- Other emerging technologies relevant to financial services
- Solutions may leverage:
- Potential Use Cases (Non-Exhaustive)
- AI-driven financial literacy and education tools
- Digital solutions using AI or blockchain to expand:
- Insurance (including parametric models)
- Savings products (including bond tokenization)
- Credit and alternative credit scoring
- Emergency and anticipatory cash transfers
- Domestic and cross-border remittances
Primary Beneficiaries
- End-User Groups
- Unbanked and underbanked populations
- Low-income individuals
- Women and gender-marginalized groups
- Migrants and immigrants
- Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) operating in informal or underserved markets
Geographic Focus
- Core Regions
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Latin America and the Caribbean
- Broader Scope
- Other emerging markets may be considered, particularly where:
- Financial exclusion rates are high
- Climate vulnerability is significant
- There is clear potential for impact at scale
- Other emerging markets may be considered, particularly where:
Evaluation & Selection Criteria
- 1. Impact First
- Clarity on how the solution will build financial resilience for unbanked people in emerging markets
- Definition of primary users and beneficiary segments
- Scale of reach:
- Number of people expected to be served
- Depth of impact on users’ financial lives and resilience
- 2. Innovation Edge
- Degree to which the solution is “first-of-a-kind” in its market or segment
- Strength of the innovation thesis at the intersection of AI, finance, and resilience
- Potential to set a meaningful signal or precedent for the wider ecosystem
- 3. Sustainability
- Strength and clarity of the business model
- Pathway to sustainable growth and unit economics
- Potential to scale to millions of users without compromising on inclusion or resilience outcomes
- 4. Likelihood of Success
- Technological readiness level (TRL) of the product or platform
- Existence and engagement level of a user base or distribution channel
- Feasibility of demonstrating tangible results within the defined pilot timeframe
Program Structure & Approach
- Piloting and Scaling
- Support for pilots that:
- Test AI-led financial products with real users
- Validate key assumptions around uptake, retention, and impact
- Potential pathways for scaling successful pilots across multiple markets
- Support for pilots that:
- Thematic Emphasis
- Financial resilience in the context of climate shocks
- Trust-building in digital finance among first-time and excluded users
- Responsible and inclusive deployment of AI and emerging tech
Application Timeline & Key Dates
- Call Launch Date:
- 4 November 2025
- Application Deadline:
- 1 December 2025
- Pilot Timeframe:
- To be defined with selected partners, with emphasis on seeing measurable outcomes within a reasonable period
Interested organizations and ventures working at the intersection of AI, financial inclusion, and climate or economic resilience for unbanked people in emerging markets can review full eligibility criteria and application instructions on the Mercy Corps Ventures website. All applications must be submitted through the official online form provided on the program page within the stated application period.