The SDG Impact Finance Initiative is excited to invite submissions for its third call for proposals under the Product Window, centered around the theme of “Fostering Human Development“. This Call for Proposal is designed to support financial solutions to that enhance community resilience and human potential through targeted support in key areas of health, education, and gender equality, preferably leveraging technology-driven solutions. Solutions targeting countries eligible to receive official development assistance (ODA) according to the OECD-DAC List of ODA Recipients will be considered, with a preference for funds in Asia, and more specifically in the Mekong region (including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and neighbouring countries). At least one selected investment fund must demonstrate a strong alignment with SDG 4 (Quality Education) in the eligible geographies.
 

In alignment with our defined SDGs, we are looking for innovative proposals that address the urgent and critical needs within:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality

SIFI will allocate a total of up to CHF 5,000,000. SIFI may allocate the full amount within this CfP Process to one Candidate or split it among up to three Candidates. Candidates must specify both the minimum and maximum funding amounts (in CHF) they require from SIFI to ensure the viability of their project. Please note that funding amounts are not guaranteed, and SIFI reserves the sole discretion to determine the allocation of funding.

SIFI invites registered impact fund mangers managers seeking to scale up their innovative impact ideas and build on proven investment fund concepts to apply.

Through this window, the Initiative provides funding in the form of first-loss equity to impact investment funds in order to:

• contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing markets;
• address social themes; and
• mobilize capital from the private sector at scale.

Minimum Criteria (to confirm eligibility of Candidate to the Investment Window )

Minimum Criteria will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis. To qualify, Candidates must meet all Minimum Criteria. Failure to meet any single criterion or to provide clear evidence of compliance in the EoI will result in disqualification.

1. EoI Eligibility: The EoI must adhere to the submission requirements.
    
2. Candidate Eligibility: The Candidate must be a legally registered entity.
    
3. Track Record: The Candidate must have a minimum of USD 50 million in Assets under Management (AuM), either within the current fund or through previous senior asset management roles.
    
4. Professional Experience: The Candidate’s management team must demonstrate proven experience, with at least 10 years of senior-level expertise in asset management or other relevant roles.
    
5. Asset Class: The Candidate must target a specific asset class, such as Private Equity, Private Debt, Venture Capital, or Guarantees.
    
6. Target Fund Size: The Candidate mut have a minimum target of at least US$ 30 million.
    
7. GP Commitment: The GP must hold at least 1% of the total fund size at all times.
    
8. Fund Lifetime: The Fund’s lifetime must be equal to or less than 12 years. If the Fund is structured as evergreen, SIFI must receive its invested capital within 12 years.
    
9. Standards: The Fund’s environmental and social (E&S) standards must meet at least the IFC Performance Standards and the ILO Fundamental Conventions.
    
10. First close: The candidate must reach Fund’s first close in maximum 12 months after award notice.
     
11. Thematic Focus: The Fund must have at least 50% of its portfolio focus on one or more of the relevant SDGs (in this call 3,4 and 5)
     
12. Geographical Focus: The Fund must exclusively focus on countries on the DAC list of ODA, with a preference for funds in Asia, and more specifically in the Mekong region (including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and neighbouring countries).
     
13. Documentation: The Candidate commits that all documentation, including the financial model, has been updated no later than 12 months ago.

Submission Requirements

Candidates must prepare and submit their Expression of Interest (EoI) in compliance with the following requirements:

Cover Sheet:

·Clearly state: “EoI SIFI-W2-C3”.

·Include the Candidate’s full legal name, official address, and website.

Submission Format:

·EoIs must be submitted as a single PDF document, not exceeding 10 megabytes (MB) in size.

Page Limits:

·EoIs must not exceed 10 pages including annexes, excluding cover page and forms.

Optional: Candidates may, in addition to the EoI, submit a pitch deck as a separate PDF document, provided it does not exceed 10 megabytes. Please note that this pitch deck will not be evaluated.

EoIs must be submitted exclusively through the SIFI website's submission portal. Submissions made by any other method, such as email, will be disqualified.

The submission deadline is the 28th May 2025 at 12:00 (noon), local time in Switzerland (CET). EoIs will only be considered submitted if they are successfully uploaded to the SIFI website at or before the deadline. Submissions uploaded after the deadline will be disqualified.

Clarifications requests regarding this CfP must be submitted in writing sifi@lionsheadglobalpartners.com before the 18th May at 12:00 (noon), local time in Switzerland (CET).

For any technical issues related to the submission, please contact info@sdgimpactfinance.org.

 

Materials:

Please carefully review the Framework as well as the Stage 1 documentation prior to submitting your Expression of Interest (EoI).

Below documentation also provides contact details and further details on the eligibility and scoring criteria as well as all submission requirements.