MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MoU) This MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) (hereinafter referred to as the “MoU”) is signed in Addis Ababa on the _____________ of ____ 2023 between: Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE), a company incorporated in Ethiopia having a Registered License No. BBL/001/63 to engage in commercial banking services with head office at Kirkos sub-city, Gambia Street, /P.O. Box 255, Tel +251115515004, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (hereinafter referred to as “CBE”) which term or expression shall, unless it is repugnant to the context or meaning thereof, be deemed to mean and include its successor and permitted assigns of the First Part. And Ministry of Innovation and Technology Ethiopia (MinT), hereinafter referred to as “MinT”, is an Ethiopian government agency responsible for science and technology development in Ethiopia accountable to the office of the prime minister after duly established as per Article 55 Sub Article 1 of the FDRE Proclamation No. 1097/2019. Tel. +251 11265737; E-mail: contact@mint.gov.et Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which term or expression shall, unless it is repugnant to the context or meaning thereof, be deemed to mean and include its successor and permitted assigns of the Second Part. (“CBE” and “MinT” shall hereinafter be referred to as individually as a “Party” and collectively as “Parties”.) Article 1: Preamble Whereas, CBE is a government-owned bank in Ethiopia and a pioneer and backbone of the Ethiopian financial industry in its over 80 fruitful years; Whereas, CBE intends to provide flexible access to lending products through simplified qualifying criteria and innovative credit scoring based on CBE Birr transaction history or account inflows; Whereas, CBE is ready to partner with the MinT to unlock the financial constraints of underserved and unserved segments of the population, and to leverage the potential of the Ethiopian startup ecosystem and thereby enhance financial inclusion; Whereas, MinT entrusted the task of nucleating and promoting start-ups for the benefit of the society by providing facilities to innovative entrepreneurs in Ethiopia; Whereas, the Mint shall support/guide/stimulate/promote entrepreneurial and management development of start-ups by integrating platforms and by policy formulation, planning, implementing, and monitoring of start-up promotions; Whereas, the Parties recognize the existing partnership and its importance for start-up financing for the good of both parties; Whereas, the parties believe that the cooperation would serve them to achieve their common objectives and contribute to national development; Now, Therefore, as duly communicated and agreed by and between the Parties the conditions of this MoU are as follows: Article 2: Definition of Terms As used herein, the following terms will have the following meanings set out below: • Start-up shall mean a newly formed business that aims to grow rapidly by offerin