United Nations Capital Development Fund

FinWise unlocks private capital for MSMEs, enhancing financial inclusion across East Africa.

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Mobilizes private finance for local climate adaptation through tailored investment solutions.

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Enhances financial inclusion and resilience for vulnerable groups using digital finance solutions.

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Strengthens local nutrition supply chains to combat childhood malnutrition in fragile settings.

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Unlocks investment for sustainable food systems in Africa, fostering innovation and resilience.

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Mobilizes capital for conservation and sustainable management of tiger landscapes.

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Transforms digital finance policies into scalable investments for underserved economies.

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Supports early recovery and resilience in fragile, crisis-affected areas.

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Unlocks credit for reef-positive MSMEs in Papua New Guinea, enhancing coastal livelihoods.

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Unlocks private capital for MSMEs by de-risking lending through guarantees and technical support.

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Credit, guarantees, concessional finance and advisory to expand MSME access to capital, de-risk lenders, and support inclusive growth in fragile and frontier markets.

Products: FinWise, Portfolio Guarantee Facility, ReStart Fund, Blue Economy Guarantee, Nutrition Supplier Finance Facility, LoCAL+, Tiger Landscapes Investment Facility (TLIF)

Financial vehicles and capital provision that deliver catalytic loans, flexible debt, and co-investment partnerships to finance growth-stage social enterprises and mobilize follow-on investment.

Products: Africa Adaptation Initiative - Food Security Accelerator, Tiger Landscapes Investment Facility (TLIF), Nutrition Supplier Finance Facility, FinWise, ReStart Fund, LoCAL+

Digital finance ecosystem development, policy and regulatory reform, and scaling of digital wallets, agent networks and inclusive fintech to deepen financial inclusion for low‑income groups, women, youth and MSMEs.

Products: Digital Finance for Resilience (DFS4Resilience), UNCDF Policy Accelerator, FinWise, Portfolio Guarantee Facility

Grant programs and financial assistance targeted to local communities and civil society to deliver global environmental benefits and build local capacity.

Products: LoCAL+, Africa Adaptation Initiative - Food Security Accelerator, Tiger Landscapes Investment Facility (TLIF), Blue Economy Guarantee

FinWise

FinWise is UNCDF’s flagship MSME finance and digital finance platform operating across East and Southern Africa and the Arab States. It addresses the MSME finance gap by blending concessional tools (grants, concessional loans, guarantees, and investment grants) with market knowledge and advisory support. The program segments the market into four MSME groups to tailor products and uses catalytic capital to crowd in private and diaspora investment, strengthening financial inclusion and enabling scale for micro, small and medium enterprises, including women and youth.

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• Mobilizes Critical Funding
  Provides a diverse range of financial instruments designed to meet the specific needs of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, enabling them to thrive in competitive markets.
• Attracts Sustainable Investment
  Engages private investors by demonstrating viable business opportunities in underserved markets, effectively expanding financial access for MSMEs.
• Strengthens Market Frameworks
  Facilitates the creation of supportive policies and partnerships necessary for MSMEs to access markets and capital more effectively.
• Tailors Financial Solutions
  Identifies and serves unique customer segments within the MSME landscape, ensuring appropriate funding and support mechanisms are aligned with distinct growth needs.

LoCAL+

LoCAL+ is the private-sector financing window of the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL). It provides guarantees, loans, and tailored financial products to small and medium-sized enterprises and service providers working in the green economy, alongside LoCAL’s standard climate adaptation financing and local government capacity-building.

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• Facilitates Local Climate Financing
  Enables local authorities to secure necessary funds for climate adaptation projects that directly benefit their communities.
• Provides Tailored Financial Products
  Offers specific financial solutions designed to meet the unique needs of small and medium enterprises operating in the green economy.
• Mobilizes External Capital
  By creating a specialized window, LoCAL+ attracts private investments to enhance climate resilience and adaptation efforts.
• Enhances Local Finance Ecosystems
  Strengthening capacity and developing markets helps unlock financial opportunities for local governments and enterprises.

Digital Finance for Resilience (DFS4Resilience)

DFS4Resilience is a four-year UNCDF programme funded by the EU and the OACPS to deploy digital finance solutions at scale in 11 countries, deepening financial inclusion and supporting post-crisis recovery. It focuses on policy reforms, digital wallets, agent networks, fintech innovations, and inclusive digital finance ecosystems for low-income groups, especially women and youth, and MSMEs.

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• Establish Digital Finance Ecosystems
  Strengthens the infrastructure that facilitates access to digital financial services, empowering traditionally underserved communities.
• Expand Digital Payment Solutions
  Introduces and enhances digital payment methods, increasing the efficiency of transactions for smaller businesses and individual users.
• Improve Regulatory Frameworks
  Enhances the policy landscape to foster digital finance adoption, ensuring timely responses to economic emergencies.
• Empower Women and Youth Financially
  Addresses specific financial barriers faced by women and young entrepreneurs, unlocking their potential in the economic landscape.
• Engage Stakeholders for Inclusive Finance
  Facilitates collaboration between diverse actors to drive the growth of accessible digital financial services.

Nutrition Supplier Finance Facility

The Nutrition Supplier Finance Facility is an UNCDF-UNICEF partnership launched in Nigeria to strengthen local nutrition supply chains for Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF). It uses catalytic finance to support local manufacturing and upstream sourcing of key ingredients, reducing imports and creating opportunities for smallholders and MSMEs. The first investment was a $2.5 million loan to Ariel Foods FZE to expand local processing of peanuts and other crops.

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• Unlock Local Production
  Provides essential funds to enhance local manufacturing, making regions less dependent on imports.
• Enhance Nutrition Delivery
  Facilitates the local production of RUTFs, ensuring better access to essential nutrition for children.
• Expand Processing Capacity
  Supports the local economy by financing processing facilities for essential nutrition products.
• Build Production Capacity
  Invests in infrastructure and knowledge to empower local suppliers in nutrition production.

Africa Adaptation Initiative - Food Security Accelerator

The Africa Adaptation Initiative (AAI) Food Security Accelerator is a strategic programme to unlock investment for nature-positive food systems across Africa. Implemented by UNCDF in partnership with the AAI and Sustainable Solutions for Africa, the programme runs 2023–2028 and focuses on strengthening African investment ecosystems while accelerating financing for agri-food system solutions in emerging and frontier markets. It combines blended finance instruments, market intelligence, and investment frameworks to mobilize catalytic capital and private investment for food-system innovation.

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• Promotes Sustainable Agrifood Businesses
  Provides direct financial resources to agrifood enterprises that are committed to sustainable practices, ensuring job creation and ecological balance.
• Enhances Operational Capacity of Investment Funds
  Improves the operational impact of investment funds, enabling them to facilitate growth in sustainable agribusiness sectors.
• Connects Innovators with Capital
  Establishes important networks and frameworks to align financial resources with innovative agrifood solutions, facilitating effective investment channels.
• Reduces Investment Risks
  Employs blended finance techniques to lower perceived risks, encouraging investments in innovative agrifood solutions.
• Strengthens Local Financial Systems
  Empowers local stakeholders by enhancing their capabilities to attract and deploy capital effectively in support of agricultural resilience.

Tiger Landscapes Investment Facility (TLIF)

TLIF is a blended finance mechanism to mobilize private and public capital for biodiversity in tiger landscapes. UNCDF administers the de-risking and credit guarantee component to enable local financial institutions to extend credit to biodiversity-linked MSMEs. A UNDP Technical Assistance Facility helps develop investable project pipelines and build enterprise capacity, with pilots in Thailand and Malaysia and a target to mobilize up to $200 million.

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• Catalyzes Up to $200 Million
  This target underlines the accessibility of significant funds aimed at enhancing conservation activities linked to tiger habitats.
• Enables Credit to MSMEs
  Facilitates access to essential financial resources for MSMEs focusing on biodiversity conservation.
• Pilots in Thailand and Malaysia
  These pilots serve as preliminary tests to enhance implementation strategies across multiple tiger habitats.
• Supports Investment Readiness
  Enhances the capacity of local enterprises to present sustainable, viable projects to potential investors.

UNCDF Policy Accelerator

The UNCDF Policy Accelerator is a digital finance policy advisory program that helps countries turn policy ambition into investable, scale-ready outcomes. It targets structural rules governing digital markets—competition, digital public infrastructure, and consumer safeguards—to enable capital to flow into last-mile digital markets, while embedding gender equality, climate resilience, and inclusion.

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• Creates Investment Opportunities
  Transforms policy ambitions into tangible investment opportunities, facilitating access to necessary capital.
• Enhances Collaboration
  Builds critical partnerships to improve regulatory frameworks and foster an enabling environment for digital finance.
• Strengthens Market Integrity
  Implements sound regulatory frameworks to ensure a competitive and safe digital finance environment.
• Promotes Equality
  Ensures that digital finance policies are equitable and benefit the most marginalized communities, enhancing accessibility.

ReStart Fund

The ReStart Fund is a joint UNDP–UNCDF financing platform designed to support early recovery and economic resilience in fragile and crisis-affected contexts. It provides grants, concessional loans, guarantees, and technical assistance through country and regional windows, connecting humanitarian response with development finance to restore access to finance for MSMEs and local economies.

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• Facilitates Context-Specific Interventions
  Utilizes tailored approaches for distinct country contexts, ensuring alignment with local needs and conditions.
• Provides Multiple Financing Options
  Employs a variety of financial instruments to support MSMEs, enhancing the ability to respond to recovery needs with flexibility.
• Creates Seamless Transition from Relief to Recovery
  Integrates immediate support with sustainable financial solutions, ensuring lasting impact beyond short-term relief.
• Strengthens Local Economies
  Enhances the resilience of local economic systems by improving access to finance for MSMEs, particularly in crisis situations.
• Ensures Productive Resource Utilization
  Supports sustainable recovery by not just providing funds but also assisting businesses in managing risks and optimizing capital.

Blue Economy Guarantee

The Blue Economy Guarantee is a UNCDF initiative in Papua New Guinea providing 70% risk coverage for reef-positive ocean-based MSMEs. Implemented through Mama Bank, the facility targets sectors such as aquaculture, marine ecotourism, seaweed farming, and plastic recycling, with a focus on women-led enterprises to unlock credit and expand coastal, marine, and biodiversity-friendly livelihoods.

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• Provides 70% Risk Coverage
  This coverage helps mitigate the financial risks for emerging ocean-based businesses, particularly those led by women, fostering inclusivity.
• Funds Reef-Positive Activities
  Investments in these sectors promote both economic growth and environmental sustainability through conservation-minded ventures.
• Targets Kimbe Bay and Milne Bay
  By concentrating efforts in these areas, the program enhances local economies while promoting sustainable marine practices.
• Focuses on Women-Owned Enterprises
  This emphasis aims to provide equitable access to financing, empowering women in the marine economy.
• Utilizes Mama Bank for Reach
  Mama Bank’s focus on women-led enterprises ensures that financial services are tailored to the unique needs of these communities.

Portfolio Guarantee Facility

The Portfolio Guarantee Facility derisks lending and unlocks private capital for MSMEs through risk-sharing with partner financial institutions. It includes a dedicated tranche for women-owned MSMEs, supports Shariah-compliant products and digital loan channels, and is complemented by technical assistance and business acceleration services to strengthen lenders and borrowers across contexts such as Afghanistan, Rwanda, and Benin.

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• Enhances Financial Security
  Minimizes risk for lenders, resulting in increased MSME financing opportunities.
• Promotes Gender Inclusion
  Targets women entrepreneurs to increase their access to finance and promote equity.
• Broad Geographic Reach
  Facilitates funding access in diverse markets, enhancing financial inclusion.
• Strengthens Ecosystem
  Empowers stakeholders with the skills and knowledge to optimize financing processes.