RFP/MGA/2607/42 Assessment of access & utilization of Samurdhi Bank fin. product

In 2025, the Government of Sri Lanka launched the Empowerment Programme aimed at supporting vulnerable households, particularly current beneficiaries of the Aswesuma programme, to transition towards sustainable livelihoods and reduced dependency on social assistance. A critical enabler of this transition is access to appropriate, affordable, and trusted financial services that allow households to save, invest, and manage risks.

 Samurdhi Banks, operating as community-level financial institutions under the Department of Samurdhi Development (DSD), represent a key delivery mechanism for extending formal financial services to poor and vulnerable populations. Despite their extensive footprint, evidence suggests that awareness, access, and effective utilization of Samurdhi Banks’ financial products, particularly savings and credit instruments, remain uneven, with women, informal workers, and marginalized groups facing persistent barriers.

 Under the UNDP-ILO-World Bank Joint Programme (JP) “Towards a more impactful and scalable Government-led Empowerment Programme in Sri Lanka”, there is a focus on improving the financial inclusion of Samurdhi Bank beneficiaries, including those in the Empowerment Programme, by generating demand-side evidence on how vulnerable households perceive, access, and use Samurdhi Banks’ financial products.

 The findings will directly inform the subsequent co-design and piloting of tailored financial products

The overall objective of this assignment is to assess awareness, access barriers, and utilization patterns of Samurdhi Banks’ financial products among vulnerable households in four (04) selected districts where the Empowerment Programme is being implemented.

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