Awash Bank proudly celebrated the successful implementation of the first round of the Guarantee to Grant (G2G) Facility under the Ethiopian Seed Partnership (ESP), in collaboration with Wageningen University & Research Institutions,the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Ministry of Agriculture, and RSLNC Consultancy PLC.

Through this innovative risk-sharing and blended finance model, Awash Bank facilitated over ETB 137 million in financing to 12 seed companies in the first round. The funding supports access to certified seeds, agricultural inputs, and expanded production capacity, helping strengthen Ethiopia’s seed sector value chain.

The initiative demonstrates the importance of strategic partnerships in addressing financing gaps in agriculture, while contributing to food security, climate resilience, and improved productivity for smallholder farmers. It also aligns with Ethiopia’s broader agricultural transformation agenda and serves as a model for future blended finance programs under the National Agricultural Finance and Implementation Roadmap (NAFIR).