Pride Bank Launches Bridge Finance Facility to Ease Cash Flow Pressure on Private Schools

What the report says

Nile Post reports that Pride Bank has launched the Pride Bridge Finance Facility, a working-capital product intended to help private schools, other education institutions and religious organisations in Uganda manage short-term cash flow gaps. The facility offers financing from Shs5 million up to Shs1 billion for eligible education institutions, with repayment periods of up to 60 months aligned to school fee collection cycles.

According to the bank, the product is designed for institutions that must continue paying salaries, utilities, maintenance costs and procurement expenses even when school fees or other income arrive late. Funds may also be used for teaching and learning materials, equipment, furniture, and school infrastructure construction or expansion. Religious institutions that bank with Pride Bank can also qualify, with loan sizes based on offertory collections and repayment terms of up to 12 months.

Pride Bank Manager for Agribusiness and Green Finance Joseph Lwanga Mugerwa Kigundu said at the launch that the facility is part of the bank’s effort to create sector-specific financial solutions for education. Nile Post also reported that the product is linked to SchoolPay, the bank’s digital fees collection platform, which Pride Bank says can support secure payments, reconciliation, accountability and better cash flow records for credit assessment.

To qualify, schools must hold an institutional account with Pride Bank, show consistent fee collections, and provide required registration and governance documents. The bank said approvals will rely mainly on fee collection history and cash flow performance. The launch points to growing demand for financial products tailored to Uganda’s private education sector, where schools often face timing gaps between operating expenses and fee payments.