What is new for the 2005 GMA Programme?

Participating Countries
Building upon the overwhelming success of the 2004 GMA pilot Programme, the 2005 GMA Programme has expanded to 34 countries from diverse locations around the world.

Steering Committee
To implement the GMA Programme, a GMA Steering Committee has been formed with members from the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the Citigroup Foundation, and the Microentrepreneurship Student Alliance.

The Secretariat
The UNCDF, under the umbrella of the International Year of Microcredit, will host the Secretariat (based in New York City) for the global coordination of the 2005 GMA Programme. The role of the Secretariat is to coordinate the project with the Microentrepreneurship Student Alliance, the Citigroup Foundation, the UNDP local offices, and other partners.

Country Teams
New to this year's awards programme is the formation of Country Teams in each participating country. Country Teams are responsible for designing and implementing the GMA Programme in their respective countries and will generally consist of one member from the United Nations local office, one volunteer member from the local Citigroup Inc. office (where applicable), and two members from the Microentrepreneurship Student Alliance (one U.S.-based student and one locally based student).

Advisory Councils
Recognizing the valuable insight local microfinance experts can provide in formulating an appropriate microenterprise awards programme, Country Teams will engage influential members of the microfinance community to participate in the GMA Programme through sitting on an Advisory Council. Advisory Councils will consist of key practitioners, government officials and academicians and play a supportive role to the country teams.

Awards Selection Committees
Awards Selection Committees will be responsible for evaluating the applicants and selecting the winning contestants in each participating country. The committees will be comprised of local governmental officials, business leaders, and in some instances national celebrities.

GMA Contestants
In the 2004 GMA pilot Programme, a total of 111 microfinance institutions submitted 574 contestant applications, which were presented to the coordinating members of each participating country. This year we hope to receive more than 3000 applications throughout the world. All contestant applications must be submitted by microfinance institutions to the GMA Country Teams.

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Who is involved?

The 2005 GMA Programme is being spearheaded by a Steering Committee comprised of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, the Citigroup Foundation, and students from universities worldwide that comprise the Microentrepreneurship Student Alliance.

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)
A multilateral organization managed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that supports the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The specific task of the UNCDF is to mobilize the UN's human, financial, and intellectual capital to advance the microfinance industry and to reach out to UN country offices to secure local staff buy-in and support. The UNCDF also hosts the Secretariat for the GMA, which is located in New York City. The role of the Secretariat is to coordinate the project with the Microentrepreneurship Student Alliance, the Citigroup Foundation, the UNDP local offices, and other partners.

To learn more about the UNCDF and its activities click here.

Citigroup Foundation and Citigroup Inc.
In coordination with the Citigroup Foundation's financial support of the GMA, Citigroup Inc., a world leader in financial products and services, is leveraging its human and intellectual capital on a volunteer basis to support microfinance through the GMA Programme. The Citigroup Foundation has also committed to assisting in the development of an international network of financial services professionals and leaders who are dedicated to the growth of microfinance. Citigroup Inc. employees in 25 countries have agreed to volunteer their time to this important initiative and will leverage their expertise to build public and media awareness of the GMA Programme.

The Microentrepreneurship Student Alliance
Led jointly by a team of U.S.-based student volunteers and an international network of in-country student volunteers, the Microentrepreneurship Student Alliance brings enormous intellectual capital and outreach skills to the GMA Programme. These students are committed to developing a global network to support the field of microfinance; the GMA Programme provides a rallying point for their engagement in this effort worldwide.

Partners in the implementation of the Global Microentrepreneurship Awards Programme 2005

The success of the 2005 Global Microentrepreneurship Awards Programme also depends on leadership support from local organizations that are lending their expertise to the implementation of the GMA in their countries. Our supporters include microfinance networks, local microfinance and academic institutions, NGOs, media outlets, and local governing bodies. We are pleased to acknowledge these outstanding organizations and thank them for their commitment to microentrepreneurs around the world.

Accion International

China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges

Rural Development Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS)

Partners in Change

Microfinance Council of the Philippines, INC (MCPI)

Sanabel — Microfinance Network of the Arab Countries

Leopold Kronenberg Foundation

Sebrae

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