Scale it Forward: Financial institution engagement & Venture Debt mobilisation

Scale it Forward: Supporting Portfolio Innovation and Venture Debt Adaptation for Egyptian Financial Institutions

Scale it Forward is a catalytic initiative that bridges the financing gap between financial institutions and high-growth, innovative scaleups by introducing Venture Debt as a practical, non-dilutive financing solution within Egypt’s investment ecosystem.

The programme is designed to partner with five financial institutions (FIs) that seek to innovate their lending portfolios. It actively de-risks Venture Debt investments by equipping 30 scaleups with capacity-strengthening training and 5,000 Euros in non-repayable support, ensuring a pipeline of financially structured, investment-ready opportunities.

Together for one purpose: Supporting Venture Debt Adaptation in Egypt

Through Scale It Forward, Financial Institutions can expand their market reach, strengthen investment decision-making, and position themselves as leaders in Egypt’s evolving financial landscape.

As a Venture Capital firm, Private Equity fund, or Microfinance Institution active in Egypt’s investment ecosystem, you play a pivotal role in bridging the “missing middle” financing gap for high-potential scaleups. By combining Venture Debt deployment with targeted scaleup readiness support, the programme enables you to unlock new financing opportunities while supporting innovative companies ready to grow.

Download this document for more details about the eligibility criteria for FIs. (0.17 MB PDF)

Partner with Scale It Forward to activate your Venture Debt products!

How does Scale It Forward support Financial Institutions?

Venture Debt activation & portfolio innovation

Participating Financial Institutions are supported to introduce or expand Venture Debt instruments, allowing them to diversify offerings beyond traditional financing.

De-risked investment deployment

The programme provides each selected scaleup with 5,000 Euros in non-repayable support to strengthen financial governance, cash-flow visibility, and debt readiness, reducing risk ahead of capital deployment.

Access to a vetted scaleup pipeline

Gain direct access to a curated pool of growth-stage scaleups across high-demand sectors, with a reduced sourcing time and improved deal quality.

Structured engagement & ecosystem positioning

Participate in a coordinated programme that positions your institution as a pioneer in Venture Debt and a key contributor to the development of Egypt’s investment ecosystem.

Knowledge exchange & market leadership

Engage with peer Financial Institutions, ecosystem actors, and experts to exchange insights, refine Venture Debt practices, and help shape market standards.

Programme Timeline

18 March 2026

Applications open

9 April 2026

Applications close. Selection starts.

April 2026

5 Financial Institutions selected and onboarded

April - May 2026

30 Scale-ups selected and onboarded

June - September 2026

Financial & readiness support for scaleups

July - October 2026

Capital mobilisation & catalytic support (Venture Debt) by FIs

November 2026

Closing event

How does it work?

Take a look through the steps to find out how to be part of the Scale it Forward initiative.

Become part of Scale It Forward

Take the first step towards innovating your lending portfolio by joining Scale It Forward as a partner Financial Institution. Selected institutions become part of a focused group committed to piloting and deploying Venture Debt as a growth-oriented financing solution in Egypt.
Align on Venture Debt & portfolio focus

Participating Financial Institutions engage with the Scale It Forward team to align on investment strategy, Venture Debt structures, target sectors, and scaleup profiles. This step ensures the program is tailored to your portfolio objectives and risk appetite.
Select scaleups & activate readiness support

Each Financial Institution will take part in selecting six growth-stage scaleups to work with throughout the programme. These scaleups enter a structured readiness phase provided by the programme, receiving tailored capacity strengthening and 5,000 Euros in non-repayable support to strengthen financial governance, cash-flow visibility, and repayment readiness.
Deploy Venture Debt

Following the readiness phase, Financial Institutions activate Venture Debt instruments and deploy financing to selected scaleups under de-risked and well-structured conditions, aligned with their internal investment processes, and matching the financial support provided by the programme.
Share impact & shape the ecosystem

Participating Financial Institutions contribute to knowledge exchange, impact tracking, and ecosystem learning. This final step positions partners as pioneers in Venture Debt while helping shape best practices and market standards in Egypt’s investment landscape.

Who can partner in Scale It Forward as a Financial Institution?

We’re on the lookout for Financial Institutions that are:

Legally registered and active in Egypt;
Operating as Venture Capital (VC) Firms, Private Equity (PE) funds, and Microfinance Institutions (MFIs);
Willing to introduce or activate their Venture Debt products in Egypt’s market;
Working with growth-stage, innovative scale-ups in high-demand sectors, including Fin-tech, Agri-tech, and Health-tech;
Ready to identify and select 6 innovative scaleups, within the framework of the programme, in order to mobilise at least 5000 Euros in financing per selected scale-up.

For inquiries, clarifications, or institutional expressions of interest, please contact us at shc@enpact.org. Please note that this is the only official support channel for the Scale it Forward program and the only way to guarantee a timely response

Download this document for more details about the eligibility criteria for FIs. (0.17 MB PDF)

Partner with Scale It Forward to activate your Venture Debt products!

Program partners

Scale It Forward is co-developed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in Egypt and enpact, under the patronage of Invest for Jobs – the Special Initiative “Decent Work for a Just Transition” on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).