ACCESS Overview
ACCESS is a not-for-profit company whose overall aim is to incubate new institutions to enable their self-sufficiency and self-sustainability. To this end, it offers specialised technical assistance under two verticals: microfinance and livelihoods. ACCESS assists the growing microfinance sector through streamlined and structured services to emerging MFIs and supports the enabling environment through the Microfinance India platform. Under the Livelihoods Program Unit, ACCESS impacts the lives of the poor by developing sustainable solutions for upscaling their income generation activities. To optimise its resources and maximise the results of its interventions, ACCESS believes in partnering with key stakeholders in the sector in order to develop mutually reinforcing strategies, bring convergence of competencies and build consensus on key issues.
ACCESS Background
ACCESS was set up in March 2006 as a not-for-profit Section 25 company. The raison d’être of setting up ACCESS was to build and consolidate the successful experiences of a large microfinance programme funded by DFID and implemented by CARE to contribute to the future growth and evolution of the microfinance sector in India.
The initial mission of ACCESS was to incubate and build the capacities of fledgling microfinance institutions in India and meet the demand for financial services from the poor. But it soon became clear that improving the condition of the poor required a more comprehensive approach. As a consequence, besides expanding its programming strategies within the ambit of microfinance, ACCESS has also developed a strong portfolio under its Livelihoods Programme Unit. ACCESS has thus transitioned from a narrow microfinance resource agency to a much more diversified field of programming competences.
While the head office is located in Delhi, ACCESS also runs offices in 6 different states, namely Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Orissa, West Bengal and Rajasthan, employing over 100 professionals across all the projects.