NCBA and HEVA Fund has rolled out the first financing product under their strategic partnership, marking a significant step toward bringing fit-for-purpose financing for creative businesses into mainstream financial services.
The KES 20 million Start-Up Incubator financing facility will provide individuals and registered SMEs operating across the creative industry value chain with access to financing tailored to their business needs and plans, at a 9% interest rate and with repayment periods of up to six months.
With no security required, short-tenure financing and hassle-free insurance, the facility is designed to help entrepreneurs meet immediate business needs, invest in new opportunities and strengthen their operations as they build sustainable businesses.
NCBA Group Managing Director John Gachora said the product roll out reflects the bank’s commitment to expanding access to financial solutions that enable creative entrepreneurs to participate more fully in Kenya’s economic growth.
“We are excited to see this product come to life after months of collaboration with HEVA Fund. It reflects our commitment to supporting creative entrepreneurs with accessible financing that helps turn ideas into sustainable businesses, create employment and contribute to the growth of Kenya’s creative economy. Through this product, we are empowering the ambitions of many creatives and demonstrating the power of our Ubuntu strategy in unlocking opportunity, building resilience and creating lasting impact for creative entrepreneurs, their families and the wider economy.”
Deployed through a shared-risk financing approach, the Start-Up Incubator facility is the first in a broader suite of solutions being rolled out through the NCBA and HEVA partnership. Future products will include Event Financing, Invoice Discounting, LPO Financing and Working Capital Financing, giving creative businesses options aligned to their cash-flow needs and stages of growth.
Wakiuru Njuguna, Managing Partner at HEVA, said the partnership shows what is possible when creative economy expertise and commercial banking capabilities come together.
“We have spent the last 12 years at HEVA proving that creative businesses are commercially viable and investable. That work has never been just about financing individual businesses; it has been about building a financial ecosystem that recognises the unique nature of the creative economy and develops financial products that meet its needs. This partnership with NCBA marks an important step in bringing that vision into mainstream commercial banking, combining HEVA’s sector expertise with NCBA’s scale to expand access to capital and accelerate the growth of Kenya’s creative economy.”
By combining NCBA’s commercial banking capabilities, digital infrastructure and regional reach with HEVA Fund’s more than a decade of experience developing and deploying financing for creative entrepreneurs and businesses, the partnership will strengthen access to intentional, responsive and affordable capital for Kenya’s creative economy.
