Impact-linked Finance (ILF) Grant
In context
This call is open to social enterprises, startups and small and medium-sized businesses, at seed stage, Series A and Series B and growth stage. Coverage is read from the notice itself: any country.
Impact-linked Finance is a performance-based financing instrument where social enterprises receive greater financial rewards as they achieve selected impact metrics. This grant funds social enterprises demonstrating measurable social and/or environmental impact through conditional disbursement tied to verified outcomes.
About this grant
Impact-linked Finance (ILF) is a financing instrument offered by the Swiss Capacity Building Facility (SCBF) to social enterprises working in inclusive finance. Under this instrument, the disbursement of funds is conditional on the achievement of selected impact metrics: the more impact the social enterprise is able to create, the greater the financial reward it receives. This performance-based structure is designed to incentivize and reward meaningful, measurable outcomes for low-income and underserved communities. SCBF focuses on inclusive finance at the nexus of agriculture, health, housing, and inclusive finance enablers. It supports the creation and expansion of responsible digital financial solutions for underserved communities worldwide, empowering them to make informed financial decisions, build resilience, and improve their lives. The ILF instrument sits alongside two other SCBF financing mechanisms: Technical Assistance Grants and Repayable Grants. The broader SCBF mission is to bridge the Pioneer Gap by linking public funds with private expertise to support financial service providers in delivering customer-centric solutions to low-income populations. SCBF works across more than 50 countries, collaborating with partners from both the public and private sectors.
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Eligibility
Applicants must be social enterprises working in the inclusive finance sector, particularly those developing or scaling financial products and services for low-income and underserved communities. The instrument is available globally, with SCBF operating in over 50 countries. There is no explicit restriction on organisational type beyond the social enterprise designation. Some SCBF grant windows (under Technical Assistance Grants) are restricted to SCBF Members, but the ILF instrument does not appear to carry this restriction based on available information.
How it's scored
Applications are evaluated based on the potential for measurable impact on low-income clients, as disbursement is directly tied to the achievement of pre-selected impact metrics. The more impact the enterprise can demonstrate or is expected to create, the greater the financial reward. Specific scoring criteria, panel composition, and weightings are not disclosed on the page.
Key requirements
- ✓Applicant must be a social enterprise with defined impact metrics
- ✓Disbursement is conditional on achievement of selected impact milestones
- ✓Impact outcomes must be measurable and verifiable
- ✓Organization must demonstrate capacity to track and report on impact performance
Frequently asked questions
- Who can apply for Impact-linked Finance (ILF)?
- Eligibility covers organisations in GLOBAL; social-enterprise, startup, sme. See the eligibility criteria above for the full conditions.
Relevant sectors
About this sector
Climate fintech funding backs financial products and infrastructure that move capital to climate solutions, from green lending platforms to risk and disclosure tools. Support comes from innovation programmes, development finance and investors. Applicants are usually asked about regulatory approval, data sources and how the product reaches its users.
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