FAST Strategic Approach

As a facilitator of the development and launch of FAST, the SCI has played an integral role working with the FAST team to develop a roster of projects and initiatives aimed at improving producer access to the finance and financial resources.

Together with FAST the SCI aims to develop the financial management skills of sustainable producers, improve access to finance and financial services and gather data that demonstrates the sustainable development impacts generated from socially oriented lending - to advocate for further investment.

FAST and the SCI work collaboratively to develop critical financial based project components that feed into other SCI projects such as SCAN and COSA. The SCI also provides FAST with research, advise and expertise that contribute to the continued development of the alliances overall programs.

Strategic Approach

1. Projects
Financial Literacy Training Toolbox:
The Toolbox will build the financial, accounting and business management skills of sustainable SME’s by creating and providing access to a complete modular package of financial literacy training materials. FAST will coordinate and centralize access to financial education training with the aim to improve producer capacity and reduce their overall business risk.

Generic Impact Assessment Tool:
At the present time, socially oriented lenders use their own methods to evaluate social impact, which limits comparison between providers of finance. The tool developed will provide a standard set of measurable, specific criteria that will enable more robust social impact measures to be put in place across the sustainable lending sector.

SME Online Marketplace:
This web-based access portal, tailored to sustainable producers worldwide, will consolidate the products and services available from lending institutions. This web-based tool will enable sustainable trade producers to quickly access to key information on socially oriented lenders, compare product offerings and make contact.

Guarantee Facility for Social Lending:
FAST will explore the development of a mixed loan guarantee facility while building upon existing guarantee schemes. The project will investigate the lending terms and procedures of each lender and identify where procedures and processes match requirements of guarantee schemes. Where matches are identified, FAST will work to assist lenders in taking advantage of these guarantee facilities.

2. Advocacy, Networking and Knowledge Sharing
FAST uses the combined voices of its members and its institutional strengths to target key decision makers in advocating for effective change and gaining critical high-level support. As a facilitator of networking and knowledge sharing, FAST provides a platform enabling improved communications among all of its members and stakeholders. Improved collaboration will effectively reduce the current duplication of efforts, streamlining the lending process and creating substantial creating cost savings.