AFI Global Financial Inclusion Awards - Alliance for Financial Inclusion

The AFI Global Financial Inclusion Award Nominations are now OPEN!
Deadline for nominations  is on the 22^nd of May 2026.

Each year, the AFI Awards honor institutions and individuals who have gone to extraordinary lengths to develop and implement policies that expand the access and use of safe, convenient and affordable financial services.

In 2025, AFI hosted the AFI Global Financial Inclusion Award Ceremony during the Global Policy Forum in Namibia, bringing together over 700 policymakers, regulators and partners from around the world. The ceremony celebrated outstanding leadership and innovation in advancing financial inclusion. Click here to view the esteemed 2025 AFI Award Winners and Finalists

Terms and Conditions may be viewed here.

The Nestor Espenilla Jr. Financial Inclusion Innovation Award  

Recognizing AFI members that demonstrate outstanding commitment towards innovation and use of technology to advance financial inclusion.  It honors the memory and legacy of Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, a founding member of AFI.

Link to nomination form: Click here.

Who is eligible to apply?
Only open to AFI member institutions that have implemented unique policy innovations that create an enabling environment for the introduction of technological and or business innovations towards addressing challenges of financial inclusion. The 2026 Global Policy Forum-Host (Bank of Papua New Guinea) will not be eligible to apply.

Criteria for the Award

I.Policy Action and Implementation: Assesses how the nominee has developed, updated or implemented evidence-based policies, regulation and initiatives in the past three years that promoted financial inclusion through the use of technology and innovation.

II.Systemic Impact: Evaluates whether the policy solutions implemented resulted in significant and measurable impact in driving financial inclusion.

III.Disadvantaged groups: Gauges whether the policy solutions implemented leveraged technology to advancethe financial inclusion of disadvantaged groups (e.g.women, PWDs, FDPs, youth, elderly)

IV.Peer Leadership and Stewardship: Determines if the nominee demonstrated leadership in sharing its learnings and experiences through advocacy, knowledge-sharing, and stakeholder collaboration at the national and international level.

How to Apply?
Eligible AFI member institutions must nominate themselves by completing the nomination form, outlining their institution’s achievements as per the criteria listed above.

The Financial Inclusion Policy Achievement Award

This is a new High-Level AFI Award that seeks to celebrate progress in different financial inclusion policy areas each year. The first-ever FIPA Award in 2026 will spotlight Gender Inclusive Finance (GIF) as the thematic focus to recognize and celebrate the achievements of AFI members in advancing women’s financial inclusion.

Who is eligible to apply?

Only open to AFI member institutions that have demonstrated outstanding achievements in promoting Gender Inclusive Finance. The 2026 Global Policy Forum-Host (Bank of Papua New Guinea) will not be eligible to apply.

Link to Nomination Form: Click here.

Criteria for the Award

I. Policy Action and Implementation: Assesses the quality and advancement of key policies, regulatory measures, and/or initiatives implemented or led by the institution in the past three years that demonstrates an advancement of the financial inclusion of women and institutionalization of female leadership in the financial sector.

II. Systemic Impact: Measurable improvements in access, usage, and quality of financial services and broader systemic impact on women’s financial inclusion achieved, e.g. positive changes onto market behavior and institutionalizing female leadership.

III. Innovation and Scalability: Evaluates how the policy approaches addresses intersectionality, cultural, and socio-economic barriers to financial inclusion in innovative and scalable ways.

IV. Peer Leadership and Stewardship: Demonstrates leadership through advocacy, knowledge-sharing, and stakeholder collaboration at the national and international level.

How to Apply?

Eligible AFI member institutions must nominate themselves by completing the nomination form, outlining their institution’s achievements as per the criteria listed above.

The Awards Jury

How to apply

The Peer Leadership Awards

AFI Members will also be awarded based on their commitment and contribution to the AFI Network in the past year. Particularly, AFI will celebrate exceptional contributions by the Network in the following areas:

1. The Maya Declaration Commitment Award
This Award is given to one AFI member institution that promotes the use of the Maya Declaration Commitment platform through making specific financial inclusion targets, updating implementation progress of these targets and publicly sharing its implementation lessons. 

The criteria for the award are rigorous and are based on the members uploaded data that is collected on the AFI Data Portal:

i) Made Maya Declaration targets that are aligned to existing AFI Accords .
ii) Displayed significant progress of the Maya Declaration Commitments to ensure comprehensiveness and accuracy of targets are upheld.
iii) Displayed completion of the Maya Declaration Commitments and reported significant outcomes (or impact results) from the implementation of these targets. 

Institutional Leadership
This Award shall be given to one AFI member institution that encapsulated the AFI DNA during the past year through displaying its leadership role within the AFI network, having active engagement by displaying technical leadership on financial inclusion (for example through publications and thought leadership pieces), and commitment to the AFI network by representing AFI in global fora.  
Technical Leadership
This Award shall be given to individual staff of AFI member institutions who have demonstrated outstanding technical leadership in the AFI Working Groups. A total of seven (7) winners will be selected in this category, with one (1) winner from each Working Group.

AFI Honorary Recognition Awards

The new AFI Recognition Award is made by the AFI Board of Directors, honors individuals and organizations for their outstanding contributions to the AFI network and to advancing financial inclusion globally. At the AFI 2025 Global Policy Forum in Namibia, the Award was presented to four individuals and institutions.

The AFI 2025 Recognition Awards

Timeline

Nominations open on the 3^rd of April 2026. The deadline for nomination submissions is on the 22^nd of May 2026. The Finalists will be informed in August 2026 and the winner will be revealed at the Award Ceremony at the 2026 Global Policy Forum in Papua New Guinea.