Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

JICA is one of the world’s largest bilateral development agencies. It plays a core role in Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) and supporting sustainable development in developing countries. JICA has three arms of operation: 

1) Finance and investment: ODA Loans (Sovereign-based lending to developing countries with highly concessional terms) and private Sector Investment Finance (Lending or equity investment to private-sector entities operating in developing countries).

2) Grant Aid: Assistance in the form of grants to provide the goods and services necessary for economic and social development.

3) Technical Cooperation: Support for human resources development, R&D, technology dissemination, and the improvement of institutional frameworks required to advance economies and societies in developing countries by dispatching experts, accepting training participants, and/or providing equipment.

JICA Supports Japanese companies, especially SMEs, to conduct baseline surveys, business model formulation surveys, and business verification surveys in developing countries. Japanese companies should make applications for such support, which takes place twice a year. JICA is also a key partner in implementing the Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS), designed to promote international joint research between Japanese research institutions and recipient countries in developing countries under the ODA framework. Universities (including private schools) and public research institutions can apply and carry out SATREPS projects.