The project builds on an ongoing market-level FIG Advisory Project currently being implemented in Senegal – Piloting Psychometric Scoring for Increased MSME A2F in Senegal and UEMOA (605684). The replication in Cote d’Ivoire is a natural continuation of this effort to expand access to finance for informal and excluded MSMEs in UEMOA through psychometric scoring and based on the partnership between IFC and the regional credit bureau of UEMOA (Creditinfo West Africa). The proposed project in Cote d’Ivoire will therefore be complementary to the market-level Senegal pilot in that it will be firm specific and with a scale-up potential to other affiliates of the Microfinance Group even beyond the borders of UEMOA. With a mobile penetration rate of 162% (more than 44.5 million mobile phone customers registered as of December 2021), Cote d’Ivoire is particularly well-positioned to leverage the transformational potential of digital financial services. More than 13.4 million mobile money accounts were registered as of Dec. 31st, 2021. Although mobile network operators are on the frontline of Digital Financial Services (DFS) offerings in the country, financial institutions are gradually developing their own digital channels. Alternative data scoring models such as psychometric scoring are mostly used for low-income segments (individuals and firms) that have no credit history in the credit bureau and therefore are not scorable. These include underserved segments such as micro entrepreneurs, informal SME, small traders, small commerce, and individuals that are cut-off from the traditional lending channels because of their lack of data. IFC’s psychometric scoring model is specifically adapted to the segment of informal and non-scorable MSMEs as psychometric scoring aims to provide thin-file and informal clients from the MSME segment with the opportunity to break the traditional barriers to financial inclusion (collateral and financial data requirements) and build a credit history. The psychometric scoring tool is precisely designed to make up for the inability of this specific segment to pledge collaterals and provide financial data on their businesses. To ensure a quick adoption of the innovation, as well as a smooth skills transfer process and local ownership by the partner FIs, a fully-fledged capacity building component will be deployed for their staff (Credit, Risk and IT) to better utilize the output of the psychometric quiz to support credit decisions. This component will leverage synergies and lessons learnt thus far in the Senegal pilot project.