Latest News on or by the IBF

«When catalytic capital is critical: How impact entrepreneurs use grants to build ‹bottom-up› blended finance«

on Pioneers Post  / Jan. 19, 2023 / article link

«Just Useful… Or Truly Catalytic? How Entrepreneurs Really View Catalytic Capital — And What Impact Investors Can Do About It»

on NextBillion  / Jan. 17, 2023 / article link

IBF, Roots of Impact and the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship receive a prestigious research grant from the Catalytic Capital Consortium

by New Venture Fund / Oct. 14, 2021 / official press release / ImpactAlpha article

«‘It’s Not About Subsidies’ – And Five Other Myths About Blended Finance»

on NextBillion  / Jan. 30, 2020 / article link

«Making Subsidies Smarter – How to Create More ‚Bang for the Buck‘ in Blended Finance»

on NextBillion  / Feb. 27, 2020 / article link

«Initiative for Blended Finance Launches to Make Sustainable Development More Effective»

by NextBillion / Aug. 28, 2019 / resource link

Hot off the IBF Press

from our research project «Blended Finance: What’s in it for the entrepreneur?»:

from our research project «Blended Finance: When to use which instrument»:

from our research project «Unleashing the potential of faith-based investors»:

Beyond Leverage Ratios: A Strategic Approach to Blended Finance

Mathieu Pegon from IBF partner IDB explores how and to what end blended finance mobilizes private investment towards the SDGs, moving away from an emphasis on private capital leverage as an efficiency metric, and relying instead on the concept of net social returns that incorporate the wider economic effects of blended finance and its cost to the taxpayer.

Also recommended:

«Scaling Impact: Financing and Investment for a Better World”

by Kusi Hornberger / 2023 / book link

«Innovative Development Finance Toolbox»

by KfW / October 2020 / toolbox link

«Can Sustainable Investing Save the World? Reviewing the Mechanisms of Investor Impact»

by the Center for Sustainable Finance and Private Wealth (CSP) / March 2020 / research paper link

«A review of impact-linked finance: does incentivising impact work?»

by Investing for Good / June 2021 / study link

«Using Blended Concessional Finance to Invest in Challenging Markets»

by IFC / February 8, 2021 / report link

The State of Blended Finance 2023

IBF partner Convergence uses proprietary data and insights to provide an updated analysis of the blended finance market, including impact, blending approaches, sectors, and regions. The report also highlights the top investors in the space, provides an overview of key events in blended finance and reflects on progress that has been made on previous action items and issue areas. In 2023, the focus is again on climate.

Also recommended:

«Billions to Trillions? Issues on the Role of Development Banks in Mobilizing Private Finance»

on CGD website / Nov. 17, 2017 / article link

«Making Blended Finance Work for the Sustainable Development Goals»

on OECD website / Jan. 29, 2018 / resource link

«The OECD DAC Blended Finance Principles»

on OECD website / resource link

Better Finance Better World

The Blended Finance Task Force calls for action to scale up the blended finance market. Leadership is necessary across the entire investment system in order to make this happen, including: (i) the providers of capital (including institutional investors, foundations and developed countries), (ii) intermediaries who blend capital (both public and private); and (iii) developing countries.

Also recommended:

«Innovative financing for development:as if social returns, incentives, and value for money really mattered»

in GREAT Insights / August, 2015 / article link

«Donor engagement in Innovative Finance: Opportunities and Obstacles»

by DCED / resource link

«Blended Finance Vol.1: A Primer for Development Finance and Philanthropic Funders»

by OECD & WEF / resource link

Accelerating Impact-Linked Finance

IBF partner Roots of Impact teamed up with the Boston Consulting Group to investigate how financial rewards to achieved outcomes can nudge enterprises to create even more impact and better crowd-in investment.

Also recommended:

«A Recipe for Change: Can Blended Finance Help Trigger an ‹Impact Revolution›?»

on NextBillion / Nov. 6, 2018 / article link

«How Impact-Linked Finance can accelerate the SDGs»

on BCG website / 2019 / article link

«Social Impact Incentives: A New Solution for Blended Finance»

on NextBillion / July 25, 2017 / article link