Teach A Man To Fish Members' Loan Program - 2009

Background to the Program

The significance of loan financing is that the funding can be repaid and recycled into more and more projects. This will mean - as long as the money is paid back! - that instead of just being able to  fund a single project, we could fund ten projects one after another; increasing the impact of the small amount of funding we have by 1000%!!!

This is a great opportunity to prove the strength and financial sustainability of your work to yourself, and to others. Successfully paying back a loan from the income generated by your entrepreneurial education project is a powerful statement of what you can achieve. Moreover, for the organizations which can successfully pay back their loans, on time, and in full, we will make available opportunities for larger loans and for grant funding to support this.

If we can show that some of our members have the ability to take out and pay back a loan, then Teach A Man To Fish will be able to access more loan financing - building on the success of your organisation and others in the Teach A Man To Fish Network.

The Loan Program

On the 1st February 2009 we are launching the 1st Round of the Teach A Man To Fish Loan Program Call for Proposals, with participation limited to our network members. To apply all you need to do is complete our one page concept note and return it to us by the 28th February 2009.

You can apply for a loan anywhere from $2000 to $5000 and the maximum payback period is 2 years (paid in instalments).

Please ensure however that you read the Loan Conditions summary at the bottom of the page and consider these conditions carefully before investing both your and our time in entering the competition.

All entrants must:

1. Be members of the Teach A Man To Fish Members’ Network
2. Have existing experience of generating income from educational projects.

The criteria we will use for judging your 1st Round concept note are:

• Previous experience of your organisation.
• Ability to give an example of a previously successful educational & income generating project.
• Evidence of planning in project description.
• Educational impact & number of students benefiting from project.
• Focus on students from a disadvantaged background.
• Use of realistic but adequate income figures to pay off loan in 2 years.

In the 1st Round we want to understand i) what your idea is, ii) why we can be confident you have the ability to repay a loan, iii) what the educational benefits are, and iv) how many and who will benefit.

The closing date for 1st Round applications is 28th February 2009. The 2nd Round will involve presenting a more detailed project proposal based on your original concept note. Those successful in reaching the 2nd Round proposal stage will be notified in due course.

Teach A Man To Fish Loan Program: Terms & Conditions

Exact arrangements for each loan will be made on a case by case basis but the following provides the framework for the terms & conditions of the  Teach A Man To Fish Loan Program.

i) All loans are to be repaid in full within 2 years with a grace period of up to 1 year. The loan must be repaid through interim payments rather than all at the end of the loan period. Interim repayments will not need to be equal.

ii) Repayment schemes will be pre-arranged with each partner based on cash flow projections.

iii) Loans will be in local currency, with repayments made in local currency.

iv) The loan will have a fixed interest rate, established at the commencement of the loan and which will stay in effect throughout the life of the loan. Interest rates will be linked to the local inflation rate + 4% (negotiable).

v) All loans will be made in at least two disbursement dates with the second disbursement made available after the first repayment (subject to this being made on-time). These will be arranged prior to the disbursement of the loan. Disbursements will not need to be the same size.

viii) In the event of a default in the repayment of the loan, Teach A Man To Fish reserves the right to take any legal means necessary to recover the outstanding loan amount.

One Page Concept Note - Loan Proposal Form

Download a Proposal Form

To download the One Page Concept Note Loan Proposal Form, click here.

Please complete and return this form to loans@teachamantofish.org.uk by February 28th 2009 at the latest.