MSME Access to Finance Assessment and Approach Consultant - Caribbean

About

Prosper Global seeks a consultant to conduct a regional assessment of MSME finance and financial inclusion in the Caribbean and develop a Responsive MSME Finance Approach Paper. The work covers Caribbean financial-service provision, participant MSME needs, risk-sharing mechanisms and regulatory factors, and includes support for a February 2027 workshop. The assignment is expected to take 20–25 days and be completed remotely if the consultant is not based in the Caribbean, by 18 December 2026. Terms of service: Consultant. Duty station: Anywhere, United States. To be completed by 18 December, 2026. Total expected level of effort: 20 - 25 days.

How to apply

Apply online through the official advert page on Jobvite.

Responsibilities

• An overview of the current provision of financial services to MSMEs in the Caribbean, and an in-depth analysis on the seven jurisdictions (and neighbouring jurisdiction in the case of regional providers), including: financial service providers (FSPs), including both regulated financial and non-finan
• An overview of the financing needs, opportunities and constraints of the SCEG participant MSMEs gathered through interviews with the CSOs and selected MSMEs, including business characteristics, financing needs and opportunities, and specific gaps that need to be addressed to increase their financial
• An assessment of existing risk-sharing, guarantee and blended finance mechanisms, including regional and national credit guarantee schemes, development finance institutions, donor-supported facilities and impact investment mechanisms. Identify opportunities to expand or strengthen these mechanisms.
• A review of key ecosystem and regulatory factors affecting MSME finance, including credit information systems, collateral frameworks, financial regulations, digital finance regulations, and barriers to serving priority MSME sectors and segments.
• Priority MSME sectors (including, agriculture, fisheries and services) to serve based on financing need, opportunity, viability and achievement of programme and wider MC objectives.
• Priority partnerships for Mercy Corps and SCEG partners with named FSPs, including assessment of strategic fit, capacity, willingness to partner and potential partnership models, and other key stakeholders to provide access to risk-sharing, guarantee and blended finance mechanisms.
• How CSOs will engage with the FSPs (and others) to enable their MSMEs to access and use financial services to strengthen their programming and support to the MSMEs, and any support / training / funding needs they may have to achieve this and how these can be met.
• Prosper Global’s comparative advantage and recommended role within the Caribbean MSME finance ecosystem, including potential functions in partnership development, market facilitation, capacity strengthening, investment readiness, technical assistance, guarantee access, innovation and thought leaders
• A high-level plan describing priority pathways, partnerships and interventions to reach the SCEG participants in the short-term leading to replication and scale-up to more MSMEs in the jurisdictions, and positioning Prosper Global as a regional thought and practice leader in responsive MSME finance
• Having finalised the assessment and report, the consultant will support the design and preparation of the workshop, including preparation of presentations, facilitation materials, and discussion questions.

Qualifications

• 7-10 years of experience working in and supporting financial inclusion, preferably in the Caribbean.
• Demonstrated experience conducting assessments, actor mapping and completing reports, and in developing financial inclusion approaches / strategies.
• Strong knowledge of the financial services sector in the Caribbean.
• A wide network of contacts within the financial services sector in the Caribbean.
• Expertise in financial inclusion, private sector engagement, market system development (MSD), and market assessments.
• Ability to work independently and conduct remote interviews.
• Ability to work professionally in English, and Spanish preferred.