GSMA 2021-2024

The initiative aims to provide renewed support to GSMA of a total of SEK 29.3 million for 3.5 years (April 2021 - October 2024). Sida's support is integrated into a broader partnership between FCDO and GSMA entitled "Inclusion, Innovation and Scale". The goal of the initiative is for digitalisation's actors and stakeholders to develop or support inclusive, sustainable digital solutions that are innovative and / or reach scale. The effort includes support for four different components: "Connected Women"; "Connected Societies"; "Sustainability" and "Central Insights Unit". Most of Sida's support will go to Connected Women (approximately 45% of the total budget) which aims to contribute to digital and financial inclusion of women. Connected Societies, with the goal of contributing to digital inclusion and innovation, accounts for the second largest share (28%). The sustainability component, which aims to strengthen the sustainability work of mobile operators, will be reduced in the renewed phase to 10% of the total budget, as the support will be phased out over a year. The phasing out is justified in short by the fact that this part of the effort is judged to have achieved the intended catalytic goals and the relevance of the component is less clear today compared to 2017. The Central Insights Unit is a new part of Sida's support. It accounts for 8% of the budget and strengthens the effort's focus on innovation and the possibilities with new technology in a development context. Sida has the opportunity to present ideas and wishes to GSMA about what would be relevant to focus on under this new component. Finally, approximately 7% of the budget is allocated to monitoring and evaluation, which is considered relevant as learning is central to the effort. In addition, a discussion has been initiated between Sida and GSMA about possibly later in 2021, following an additional decision, also entering with financing (tentatively around SEK 10 million) for a call through GSMA's innovation fund with a focus on climate. However, the effort in its current form does not include support for the Innovation Fund. Sida preliminarily assesses that GSMA has the approach to innovation, the networks and the experience required to successfully operate an innovation fund without having a market disruption. The intention is thus, following the conclusion of an agreement on support for the partnership, to continue the dialogue with GSMA and FCDO on a possible support also for the Innovation Fund's call with a focus on climate, which plans to be launched in November 2021. FCDO's total contribution to the partnership amounts to GBP 38 million (October 2019 - March 2024), which includes components in addition to those supported by Sida. NORAD has also earmarked a small amount of support (GBP 1 million) for specific activities in digital skills under the Connected Society component. The Sustainability component does not receive a grant from any other donor other than Sida, but GSMA does contribute approximately 30% of the component's financing. For the parts that are co-financed between Sida and other donors, the total budget amounts to just over SEK 156 million. Sida's share in the components that Sida is part of thus corresponds to around 18% of total financing.