Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation

What Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation does

Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) is an apex development organization established by the Government of Bangladesh on 13 November 1989, headquartered in Dhaka. PKSF channels concessional finance and institutional development support through a network of more than 200 Partner Organizations (POs) — primarily NGO-MFIs — to deliver poverty alleviation, inclusive finance, microenterprise development, skills training, and climate-resilience programs to approximately 19.96 million poor and disadvantaged people across Bangladesh. Its core customer segments are the ultra-poor, small and marginal farmers, micro-entrepreneurs, and youth (with particular emphasis on women, persons with disabilities, and ethnic minorities). The organization also runs targeted interventions in climate-vulnerable geographies (northwestern river basin, southwestern coastal belt, northeastern haor) and in healthcare access for low-income populations.

PKSF's offering portfolio operates in two layers. Core programs — Inclusive Finance, Microenterprise Development, Sufolon (agricultural microcredit), Human Capital / Skills Development, Building Resilience, and Climate Action — are funded from PKSF's own balance sheet and run without a defined time horizon. Alongside these, time-bound projects are co-financed with international development partners: the USD 250 million RAISE project (World Bank), the USD 70 million GREEN project (IFAD, 2026-2031), SEIP and SICIP (Asian Development Bank), BD Rural WASH for HCD (World Bank and AIIB), and PPEPP-EU (European Union). The technology stack supporting this delivery network includes the Online Reporting System (OLRS) used by 100% of POs for digital reporting, the Integrated Information System (IIS), the Amader PKSF paperless HR and administration portal (introduced 2022), and a GPS-based Digital Reporting System (DRS) with Google Maps integration for field monitoring. PKSF has publicly committed to becoming paperless, cashless, and data-intelligent by 2030, with AI-driven psychometric and predictive credit analytics on the roadmap.

PKSF does not earn revenue in a commercial sense. Its funding sources are concessional capital from the Government of Bangladesh, multilateral donors (World Bank, IFAD, ADB, EU, AIIB), bilateral donors such as the Kuwait Goodwill Fund, and net interest income from refinancing Partner Organizations at concessional rates (agricultural loans capped at 2% per month). Pricing for end-borrower loans is concessional — for example, BDT 100,000 agricultural loans with no collateral, harvest-aligned grace periods, and single-installment repayment. Strategic alliances with RMIT University (Australia), Orbis International, SANEM, and North South University extend its reach into research, healthcare, and academia. As a state-established nonprofit foundation governed by a Governing Body under the Ministry of Finance, PKSF operates as Bangladesh's primary institutional channel for inclusive finance and pro-poor development programming.

Name

Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation

Legal name

Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF)

Website

https://pksf.org.bd

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

PKSF is a Bangladesh government–established apex development organization that channels concessional microfinance, skills training, and climate-resilience programs through 200+ Partner Organizations, serving roughly 19.96 million poor and disadvantaged people nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Development Microfinance

NAICS

Other Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (522390), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111)

akta.pro primary industry

National/Regional Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) (FSABAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Green/Climate Development Banks & Funds (FSABAKAH), Microfinance & Community P2P Lending (FSAKAHAD), Development Finance & Blended Finance Facilities (BPADAOAD), Development Finance, Guarantees & Blended Finance Programs (BPADABAM), National Development Banks & State Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) (BPADACAC)

Keywords

• Microfinance services
• Inclusive finance programs
• Skills development training
• Agricultural microcredit
• Climate resilience financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Microfinance Interest Income: PKSF provides loans to Partner Organizations which then lend to borrowers. Interest rates for agricultural loans are capped at maximum 2% per month with flexible repayment schedules aligned to harvest periods.
2. Development Partner Funding: Co-financing from international development partners including IFAD, World Bank, ADB, EU, and bilateral donors for time-bound projects with specific objectives
3. Own Financing Programs: Core programs operated solely with PKSF's own financing, not time-bound and remain in operation as long as there is demand

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PKSF is an apex development organization that channels concessional financing and institutional development support through a network of 200+ Partner Organizations (NGO-MFIs) to deliver microcredit, microinsurance, skills training, climate-resilient agriculture, water/sanitation, and microenterprise development services to roughly 19.96 million poor and disadvantaged people across Bangladesh. It operates two layers of offerings: (1) long-term, self-financed core programs (Inclusive Finance, Microenterprise, Sufolon agricultural credit, Human Capital, Building Resilience, Climate Action) and (2) time-bound, co-financed projects (RAISE, SEIP, SICIP, GREEN, BD Rural WASH, PPEPP-EU).

Product overview

Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) is an apex development organization established by the Government of Bangladesh in 1989, operating as a multi-intervention development platform rather than a single product. Its offerings are organized into three interconnected layers: (1) Core Programs — long-term, PKSF-self-financed interventions including Inclusive Finance, Microenterprise Development, Sufolon (agricultural microcredit), Human Capital/Skills Development, Building Resilience, and Climate Action; (2) Time-bound Projects — co-financed with development partners including RAISE ($250M World Bank project), SEIP/SICIP (skills development with ADB), GREEN Project ($70M IFAD climate project), BD Rural WASH for HCD (World Bank/AIIB water & sanitation), and PPEPP-EU (EU-funded poverty reduction); and (3) Digital Platforms — internal systems including the Online Reporting System (OLRS) for Partner Organizations, the Amader PKSF Portal for paperless HR/administration, and the GPS-based Digital Reporting System (DRS) for WASH monitoring. PKSF works through 200+ Partner Organizations serving approximately 20 million beneficiaries, integrating financial services with capacity building, climate resilience, and digital transformation initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Inclusive Finance Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 19.96 million poor people supported across Bangladesh
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bangladesh Finance DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2026Finance Division of Bangladesh Ministry of Finance co-implements the GREEN project with subsidiary loan and grant agreements with PKSF.
• South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 April 2026MoU signed to gain deeper insights into the quality of employment generated through PKSF's various interventions and accelerate achievement of employment generation objectives.
• North South University (NSU)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 August 2025MoU signed to increase cooperation in education and research; NSU students will gain understanding of PKSF activities through internships and field visits, with joint workshops, seminars, and research projects.
• RMIT University (Australia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU for climate-resilient housing training; 18 PKSF officials have received training on climate-resilient housing through this partnership.
• Orbis InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through MoU facilitating access to free cataract surgeries for nearly 100,000 people, implemented through Partner Organizations to improve eye health outcomes among low-income populations.
• Skills Development Coordination and Monitoring Unit (SDCMU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSDCMU under Finance Division, Ministry of Finance partners with PKSF for implementing SICIP program; partnership contracts signed on March 11, 2025 (12,000 trainees) and January 18, 2026 (8,500 trainees from PWD, third gender, ethnic communities).
• 200+ NGO-MFI Partner OrganizationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of over 200 Partner Organizations serving as PKSF's primary last-mile delivery mechanism for financial services and development programs across Bangladesh.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BRAC: BRAC is the world's largest NGO and operates BRAC Microfinance alongside education, health, and enterprise programs in Bangladesh — directly comparable to PKSF's microfinance, skills development, and multi-sector development approach, though BRAC is more diversified internationally and not government-established.
• Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI): BRI is Indonesia's largest state-owned bank and a global leader in microfinance through its unitdesa network, serving millions of small borrowers — comparable institutional model combining commercial banking with state-mandated microfinance outreach, though at much larger deposit-funded scale.
• Bangladesh Development Bank Limited (BDBL): BDBL is a government-owned specialized development bank in Bangladesh providing institutional credit for industrial and agricultural development — comparable state-backed development finance mandate and SME/agricultural focus, though oriented toward larger borrowers than PKSF's microenterprise segment.

Direct peers

• ASA (Association for Social Advancement): ASA is one of Bangladesh's largest microfinance institutions serving over 8 million members with microcredit and enterprise loans — directly comparable in scale, borrower segment, and product mix to PKSF's PO network, though operating as a single MFI rather than an apex wholesaler.
• BURO Bangladesh: BURO Bangladesh is a large microfinance institution serving over 3 million members across Bangladesh with credit and savings products — directly comparable as a partner-type MFI that could function within or alongside PKSF's PO network.
• Grameen Bank: Grameen Bank pioneered microcredit in Bangladesh and is a direct peer in agricultural and microenterprise lending to ultra-poor borrowers — comparable target segment, similar group-lending methodology, and overlapping geographic coverage, though Grameen is a specialized bank rather than an apex wholesaler.
• TMSS (Thengamara Mohila Sabuj Sangha): TMSS is a major Bangladeshi NGO and microfinance provider serving rural poor women with credit and skills training — comparable beneficiary segment, microcredit methodology, and skills development focus to PKSF's programs.
• NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development): NABARD is India's apex development bank for agriculture and rural development, channeling refinance to cooperatives and MFIs — a near-perfect structural analog to PKSF's apex role and PO channel model, operating in a comparable South Asian regulatory and donor environment.

Emerging players

• Opportunity International: Opportunity International is a global microfinance network providing capital and capacity building to local MFIs across developing markets — comparable apex/wholesale support role to PKSF, though operating internationally across multiple countries rather than as a national apex.

Regional players

• Fonkoze (Haiti): Fonkoze is a large microfinance institution serving ultra-poor Haitians with credit, savings, and business development services — comparable methodology targeting the ultra-poor with graduated credit products, though operating in Haiti rather than Bangladesh.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCoAKqvZNToAyt4ZGx8qwHYQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/pksf.org.bd
• Xx.com/PKSF_BD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/palli-karma-sahayak-foundation-pksf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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