The United Nations Capital Development Fund makes
PUBLIC and PRIVATE Finance
work for the poor in the 46 least developed countries
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The UN Capital Development Fund makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 46 least developed countries (LDCs).
UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development.
UNCDF’s financing models work through three channels: (1) inclusive digital economies, which connects individuals, households, and small businesses with financial eco-systems that catalyze participation in the local economy, and provide tools to climb out of poverty and manage financial lives; (2) local development finance, which capacitates localities through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance to drive local economic expansion and sustainable development; and (3) investment finance, which provides catalytic financial structuring, de-risking, and capital deployment to drive SDG impact and domestic resource mobilization.
Calls for tenders and Plug and Play e-grants
Access to our online calls for tenders and Plug and Play e-grants platform providing a rapid lifeline for local businesses and local governments, enabling us to support the SMEs and public partners at the local level.
Report fraud, abuse and misconduct
In order to strengthen UNCDF's accountability framework and to provide opportunities for bringing to light any misconduct, wrongdoing by any individuals working for or doing business with us, UNCDF has established an Investigations Hotline to ensure that persons wishing to report fraud may do so using the link below.
In this time of crisis, local governments, nonprofits, and social enterprises in developing countries are facing new and unforeseen challenges. Given the need for “emergency” capital, UNCDF can leverage the following technical expertise and investment instruments to reduce and limit the economic and social hardship communities are experiencing.
Since 2018, UNCDF and the OECD have collaborated on research and knowledge on blended finance in the LDCs, with the aim to contribute to the policy debate on blended finance by developing empirical evidence and original research on how blended finance can be best used in LDCs to mitigate risk and attract investment for the SDGs.
Capital Musings. A UNCDF Podcast Show.
Capital Musings is a podcast series featuring in-depth conversations with economic development experts, thought-leaders and private sector leaders discussing critical issues at the intersection of development finance, impact investment and the SDGs.
By strengthening how finance works for poor people at the household, small enterprise, and local infrastructure levels, UNCDF contributes to SDG 1 on eradicating poverty and SDG 17 on the means of implementation.
By identifying those market segments where innovative financing models can have transformational impact in helping to reach the last mile and address exclusion and inequalities of access, UNCDF contributes to a number of different SDGs.
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Active Clients
Reached by
UNCDF-supported FSPs
in Savings Mobilized
by Financial Service
Provider Partners
Public and Private Investments Completed
Local Governments
Supported
Clients served by financial products
developed with UNCDF support
New or improved financial products
piloted or scaled up
by UNCDF-supported FSPs
UNCDF-supported localized
investments completed
and in use in Climate Resilience
Countries introducing fiscal transfer
systems to LGs as a result
of UNCDF support
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