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Climate Finance Accelerator (CFA)
UK - Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
To accelerate the transformation of developing countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions into a pipeline of bankable projects, which have the potential to attract investment at scale from the private sector. The CFA will achieve this by facilitating ‘transaction-oriented’ workshops, convening project developers, policy makers and capital market players from participant countries with UK-based green finance experts.
Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures programme
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
Defra is one of the largest funders of the global, market-led, and science-based Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) initiative. The TNFD recommendations and supporting implementation guidance enable organisations to assess, report, and act on their evolving nature-related risks, opportunities, impacts, and dependencies, with the ultimate aim of supporting a shift in global financial flows towards nature-positive outcomes and achieving the goals of the Global Biodiversity Framework. Defra contributed £2,626,855 to support the TNFD initiative’s two-year open innovation ‘design and development’ phase, which culminated in the launch of the final TNFD corporate reporting recommendations on nature-related risk management and disclosure in September 2023 at New York Climate Week. From November 2021 – November 2022, Defra also contributed £1,675,000 to fund a TNFD African Voice pilot programme, with Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSD Africa) acting as the delivery partner. This funding was used to secure engagement by African financial institutions, governments, and central banks, with the aim of ensuring that the TNFD framework is fit for purpose in African contexts. In addition, this funding supported the production of a report examining the materiality of nature-related risks for financial institutions in African contexts. At COP28 in December 2023, the Defra Secretary of State announced an additional £2 million funding to support the TNFD initiative’s global market uptake phase, which is focused on encouraging and enabling voluntary market adoption across sectors and geographies, and supporting efforts to address the knowledge, capacity building and data needs of market participants. In March 2025, Defra approved an additional £1 million funding support for the work of the TNFD's global market uptake phase.
ESRC-FAPESP Creating competitive advantage by serving marginalised communities: UK multinationals and inclusive development in Latin America
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
"Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) are often blamed for only serving the elite population when they operate in emerging markets. In addition, they require local governments to create infrastructure and arrangements that can support their activities in the respective country, thus diverting resources from underserved communities within the country towards serving the elite population. The purpose of this study is to explore how multinationals from advanced markets can contribute to the achievement of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals by addressing the needs of underserved populations and marginalised communities in emerging markets, while also providing expectations of long term economic return to their shareholders. Considering the increased awareness of doing good while doing well, MNEs are beginning to realise that profit maximization is not the only route to success. They need to improve their image and demonstrate that their existence is beneficial for the society in general, that is a more long-term route to achieve a competitive advantage. We intend to uncover the mechanisms and actions required by these companies to serve marginalised communities and to create a positive image in the society. To do so, we build from stakeholder theory, social entrepreneurship and value creation literature, and offer a qualitative cross-country study in Latin America. We will focus specifically on the experience of UK multinationals in Brazil and Colombia. We will collect data through focus groups and in-depth interviews with multiple actors (such as multinationals' executives, NGOs, underserved consumers, community leaders, local government representatives, investment promotion organizations, and local entrepreneurs). We will triangulate by comparing data from focus groups, interviews, and secondary sources to draw trustworthy conclusions. Further, we will use pattern matching and case comparison to analyse and make sense of data and draw conclusions. The MNEDEVELOP project is context specific and will culminate in a set of good practices for decisionmakers to incentivize positive actions by foreign firms that result in economic and social benefits for poorer communities in Brazil and Colombia. To address this complex research question, resources and expertise from the UK and Brazil will be combined. Principal and co-investigators have a successful track record in conducting research on MNEs impact in developing countries, on local firms, on engaging in training for managers, and working directly with policy makers. Key investigators are well-known international business scholars and experts with numerous relevant high-level publications. The UK team will contribute with theoretical framing, sharing research and training skills with local researchers, taking the lead in the analysis of data, producing actionable documents for stakeholders, and drafting academic publications. The Brazilian team will provide indepth knowledge of the research context, drawing on wider networks with businesses locally and close engagement with local societies while collecting data. As results we will provide guidelines for multinationals and other stakeholders as to how inclusive development can be achieved. " COVID-19
Commonwealth Veteran's Welfare Programme for ODA Eligible Countries
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To provide commonwealth veterans and their widows/widowers from ODA eligible countries, who worked for British Armed Forces before their countries gained independence, now living in poverty, with two meals a day through a 5 year cash transfer programme.
Global Risk Financing Programme [GRiF]
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To save lives and reduce the impacts of shocks, like droughts, hurricanes and floods through enabling earlier and more effective response and faster recovery. It provides finance to support governments and humanitarian agencies to use risk financing instruments, like insurance and contingent credit, to access more rapid finance in emergencies, and to strengthen preparedness of local systems for disaster response and recovery. It will focus on disasters, but will develop over time to cover a wider range of risks, including famine.
SME - Small Medium Enterprise Initiative
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
Support through the International Finance Corporation scaling up of commercial banks' lending to Small and Medium Enterprises in DFID targeted developing countries in Africa and Asia, with a focus on FCAS. The Initiative will support scaling up of lending to small and medium enterprises through partnership with mainstream commercial banks, leasing companies and other non-banking finance companies in DFID priority countries. The Initiative will provide banks with risk sharing mechanisms, technical assistance and advisory services as well as improved credit history information and referencing in support of scaling up their financing to small and medium enterprises.
IMPACT - Investment to fund innovative solutions for development and help develop sustainable investment markets
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
Investment to fund innovative solutions for development and help develop sustainable investment markets that work for the poor. FCDO is aiming to catalyse the market for impact investment in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Impact investments are those which have both a financial and social return by benefiting poor and low-income people through improved access to affordable goods and services and income generating opportunities. The Impact Programme aims to promote solutions to the barriers and constraints that are preventing Impact Investing from scaling up in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The programme seeks to foster a significant increase in the volume and distribution of impact investment, reaching the underserved as consumers, suppliers, distributors or employees, in hard to reach, difficult geographies, and through innovative business models.
The Growth Gateway programme
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To establish a coordinated and improved service to businesses exporting to, importing from and investing in developing markets and businesses from developing markets to access UK Government trade, investment and finance services that increases trade and investment to developing markets. The programme will prioritise for support businesses who through their operations and products can deliver positive environmental and development impact, and support for businesses and governments will include promoting climate sensitive approaches and international standards on environmental practice, and identifying and supporting opportunities for climate smart investment.
Somalia Monitoring Programme Phase 3
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
Somalia Monitoring Programme Phase 3 aims to generate and promote use of better evidence and statistics to define, deliver and adjust FCDO programmes in Somalia. It is designed to ensure that British Embassy Mogadishu (BEM), Somali officials and the international community have access to the evidence and statistics needed to ensure programmes and policies are targeted, effective and adaptive; and that risks are identified and managed. SMP 3 involves two key components: the first is Third-Party Monitoring and Learning (TPML) of UK (FCDO) programming in the field, to ensure that our activities deliver expected outcomes, and Campaign Goals in the Somalia Country Plan. The second is support to the Somali National Statistics System to collect, analyse, and use key data enabling the authorities to better target policies and systems that deliver development outcomes.
Risk Pools Programme (RPP)
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To support a parametric (index-based) weather risk insurance pool that will provide participating African countries with predictable, quick-disbursing funds with which to implement pre-defined contingency response plans in the case of a drought.
The Ethiopia Investment Advisory Facility (EIAF) Phase II Programme
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
The programme aim to provide flexible, demand-led technical assistance to Government of Ethiopia ministries, agencies and state-owned enterprises in order to enhance the effectiveness of public investments and improve the enabling environment for exporters. By providing technical expertise and capacity building in the areas of public investment management; industrial parks and their supporting infrastructure; and trade logistics, EIAF II aims to contribute to outward oriented, manufacturing led, sustainable and inclusive growth in Ethiopia.
Sudan Economic Impact and Reform (SEIR) Programme
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To support Sudan’s economic recovery and lay the groundwork for growth by i. Mitigating the impact of economic reforms on the poorest and most vulnerable through social impact mitigation programming. ii. Providing technical assistance (TA) to the Government of Sudan to lead and implement a successful economic reform programme in line with IMF guidance supported by a comprehensive, cross government Poverty Reduction Strategy. iii. Helping prepare the Government of Sudan for debt relief under the Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) process so that in future it is able to access resources from International Financial Institutions (IFIs). The programme will support Sudan’s progress towards SDG1 – halving the numbers of people living in poverty – by reducing the risk of economic collapse and supporting Sudan’s economy to become a platform for future growth. Reducing inflation and arresting the collapse of the currency will alleviate the number of people requiring humanitarian aid.
Disaster Risk Insurance
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To improve the resilience of the private sector in poor countries to natural disasters by improving access to insurance products. By supporting the development of a market for private sector disaster risk insurance in developing countries, the project will sustainably help strengthen resilience, mitigate the effects of climate change and supporting economic development through private sector growth.
Climate Smart Jobs Programme
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To strengthen the climate smart agribusinesses, creating jobs, support climate smart land management & services and to remove barriers that stop businesses getting deals.
Manufacturing Africa - Foreign Direct Investment
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
Manufacturing Africa helps drive the inclusive economic transformation needed to create jobs for the future and set countries on a trajectory out of poverty. It is expected to generate £1.2 billion of new Foreign Direct Investment in manufacturing sectors in Africa. It will do this by working with African Governments and international companies to facilitate new investments, such as by developing the business case for firms to undertake investment, or by supporting their negotiations with Government, and by addressing sector specific barriers preventing those particular investments from taking place. MA also aims to reduce carbon emissions from manufacturing through thought leadership as well as delivering technical assistance and supporting investments that facilitate climate change mitigation and or adaptation.
Centre for Disaster Protection (CDP)
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To protect poor and vulnerable people, save lives and help developing countries to get back on their feet more quickly after a disaster by working with governments to strengthen planning, embed early action, and use “risk financing” tools like insurance and contingent credit to finance more cost-effective, rapid and reliable response to emergencies. It aims to empower governments to build resilience to natural disasters and climate change, and take ownership of their risks, with more assistance delivered through pre-financed government-led systems. Funded by the UK Government Prosperity Fund until April 2021.
Tristan da Cunha Provision of Technical Assistance and Essential Infrastructure 2023 to 2026
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To enable the Administration of Tristan da Cunha to provide appropriate public services to meet the basic health, education, safeguarding and governance needs of the island community, through the provision of professional expertise and training.
GFP - Global Finance Programme
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
Leverages the UK’s unique position as the world’s leading financial centre to increase access to finance for firms and individuals where beneficiaries are in developing countries, promoting shared prosperity through inclusive economic growth overseas, and the development of new markets in developing countries.
POF - Pioneer Outcomes Funds
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
A programme to leverage private finance into high performing development projects using Impact Bonds and other pay-for-outcomes models at scale to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals. A multi-donor programme to commission development projects effectively and efficiently using new instruments that facilitate better links between financial markets and providers delivering pay-for-success contracts.
FSDA - Financial Sector Deepening Africa Platform
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To drive inclusive growth through a combination of grants and development capital investments that build financial markets and institutions. The programme delivers ambitious multi-country activities and focused, local interventions which seek to strengthen capital markets, promote financial innovation, and help Africa finance a greener future.
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