Who We Are
RDF Ghana LBG is an impact-driven institution providing access to finance across agriculture and renewable energy value chains in Ghana, with a deliberate emphasis on empowering women and youth.
RDF Ghana LBG is a company limited by guarantee. Its guarantors are the Government of Denmark (Impact Fund Denmark, formerly IFU) and the Government of Ghana (Ministry of Finance).
RDF's oversight is provided by a Board of Directors responsible for strategy, fiduciary oversight, risk management, and holding management accountable for results and development outcomes. The Board has two committees: the Finance and Investment Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee.
RDF focuses on persistent financing gaps faced by rural-based MSMEs in agriculture and renewable energy, deploying financing and risk-sharing instruments complemented by technical assistance.
RDF works with and through financial and non-financial intermediaries to channel liquidity, reduce risk, and build capacity so that farmers, agribusinesses, and rural energy enterprises can access the finance they need to grow sustainably.
RDF offers three core products: Lines of Credit to intermediaries to expand lending where it's needed most; Credit Guarantees (partial, covering up to 50% of losses on eligible loan portfolios — principal only) to de-risk lending and crowd in private capital; and Technical Assistance to strengthen the capacity of intermediaries and beneficiaries.
RDF does not primarily lend directly to end-borrowers. It equips intermediaries with liquidity, risk mitigation, and capacity building so they can better serve end beneficiaries.
RDF tracks impact across four core metrics: value of loans disbursed, total beneficiaries reached, women and youth reached, and farmers adopting climate adaptation and mitigation practices. 60 Decibels Impact Assessment: Independent impact assessment is ongoing to measure social impact against global benchmarks.
Intermediaries are the financial and non-financial partner institutions through which RDF delivers its financing, risk mitigation tools, and technical assistance. These include Rural and Community Banks, Microfinance Institutions, Savings and Loans Companies, and other rural-based financial institutions, as well as outgrower businesses and agribusiness value chain actors that provide input credit or services to farmers.
Eligible beneficiaries typically include smallholder farmers, aggregators, processors, and rural-based energy MSMEs served via partner intermediaries.
RDF prioritises Agriculture and Renewable Energy financing, with a priority on Women & Youth Economic Empowerment within productive agricultural and renewable energy value chains.
RDF's financing is for productive use only. It may be used for working capital, equipment purchasing, and climate-smart technologies, but solely within the agricultural and renewable energy sectors.
Startups may be eligible for support through specific partner financial institutions or specialised facilities, depending on the institution's risk appetite and product design. However, startups cannot apply to RDF as intermediaries. Intermediaries must be growth-stage or mature institutions with the governance, systems, and operational capacity required to partner with RDF under its investment process and due diligence standards.
To qualify as an intermediary, an institution must meet RDF's minimum eligibility standards. At a minimum, intermediaries must: be Ghanaian-owned or demonstrate that the intended beneficiaries are Ghanaian; be duly registered; have been in existence for at least three years as a functioning institution; be in good standing within their respective industries, including regulatory compliance and sound governance; have a minimum of three years of audited financial statements available for review; and must be profitable or clearly on track to be profitable.
Intermediaries may apply for financing amounts ranging between GHS 500,000 and GHS 10,000,000. All RDF financing is provided in the Ghana Cedi (GHS).
Security structures are fit-for-purpose and may include Government of Ghana securities, cash-backed instruments, and other acceptable collateral per RDF guidelines. Tailored structures may be adopted for outgrower/value-chain financing.
RDF maintains an enterprise risk management framework with clear oversight (reporting to management and the Board Audit & Risk Committee), covering strategic, operational, investment/credit, liquidity, reputational, and ESG risks.
RDF integrates environmental and social risk screening, alignment with Ghanaian laws and international frameworks (e.g., IFC Performance Standards, GRI principles), SDG integration, and an exclusion list for prohibited activities. Gender and youth inclusion are embedded across financing activities.
RDF works with a range of partners including financial institutions, non-financial value-chain actors, development partners, and strategic institutions that support agriculture and renewable energy. These partnerships enable RDF to channel liquidity, reduce lending risk, and strengthen institutional capacity across rural and underserved markets.
Partners can expect: access to capital through lines of credit and guarantees; capacity-building support through targeted technical assistance; a transparent and structured review process guided by clear due-diligence and approval steps; and strong governance and ESG standards that ensure responsible, sustainable financing.
RDF expects: alignment with its mandate to expand rural, agricultural, and renewable-energy finance; sound governance and regulatory compliance; robust operational and risk-management systems capable of deploying funds responsibly; and a commitment to ethical and ESG practices.
Financing is typically accessed through participating intermediaries — banks, rural & community banks, MFIs, and outgrower businesses — that receive RDF lines of credit or risk-sharing support and on-lend to end beneficiaries.
While requirements may vary by partner institution, applicants should expect to provide information across RDF's core due-diligence areas: governance & ownership; financial statements & performance; operational capacity & risk management; legal & regulatory compliance; environmental & social safeguards; and proposed use of funds and business projections.
Timelines vary by partner institution and the specific instrument. RDF processes applications through four deal-consideration cycles each year, which guide internal review and approval. Actual processing time will depend on the completeness of submissions and the due-diligence outcomes.
Technical Assistance helps address any operational or capacity gaps identified during due diligence, allowing strong opportunities to qualify for RDF's investment approval.
Reach out to us directly via our Contact page to initiate a conversation about collaboration.