Emerging and developing economies (EMDEs), specifically least developed countries (LDCs) and lower middle-income countries (LMICs), provide compelling opportunities for Canadian as well as globally-based fund and asset managers with the potential for increased growth, portfolio diversification, access to an array of asset classes, and scaling-up new investment strategies. Blended finance uses catalytic capital to reduce risk exposure in such investments, enabling private institutional investors to enter these markets.

Whether you are a first-time manager or an established firm entering new EMDE markets, A4FM equips you with the support needed to scope, structure, and launch scalable blended finance vehicles. Through catalytic grants, skill-building, market insights, and on-going acceleration support, the program helps fund and asset managers to:
-Build blended finance capacity and equip teams to structure blended vehicles
-Diversify market reach and portfolio exposure of blended vehicles
-Enter high-growth, high-impact markets by reducing risk exposure
-Gain early access to untapped, frontier opportunities while supporting sustainability

Les économies émergentes et en développement (EMDE), en particulier les pays les moins avancés (PMA) et les pays à revenu intermédiaire inférieur, offrent des opportunités intéressantes aux gestionnaires de fonds et d'actifs canadiens et internationaux, notamment en matière de croissance accrue, de diversification des portefeuilles, d’accès à un large éventail de classes d’actifs et de développement de nouvelles stratégies d’investissement. Le financement mixte mobilise des capitaux catalytiques afin de réduire l’exposition au risque dans ce type d’investissements, permettant ainsi aux investisseurs institutionnels privés d’accéder à ces marchés.

Que vous soyez un gestionnaire émergent ou une société bien établie souhaitant s’implanter sur de nouveaux marchés EMDE, A4FM vous apporte le soutien nécessaire pour définir, structurer et lancer des véhicules de financement mixte évolutifs. Grâce à des subventions catalytiques, au renforcement des capacités, à des analyses de marché et à un accompagnement continu, le programme aide les gestionnaires de fonds et d’actifs à:
-Renforcer leurs capacités en matière de financement mixte et doter leurs équipes des outils nécessaires pour structurer des véhicules de financement mixte
-Diversifier leur couverture de marché et l’exposition de leurs portefeuilles
-Accéder à des marchés à forte croissance et à fort impact tout en réduisant leur exposition au risque
-Accéder rapidement à des opportunités inexploitées et innovantes, tout en soutenant la durabilité

The Asia Climate Solutions (ACS) Design Grant will provide early-stage grants for high-impact climate financing solutions in emerging markets in Asia. The Grant aims to mobilize private capital at scale into high-impact target sectors across climate mitigation and adaptation.

The Indo-Pacific NGO Blended Finance Accelerator supports non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working on transformative development projects and pioneering new approaches to financing sustainable development in the region.

The Accelerator will provide a.) catalytic grant funding, and b.) acceleration support to qualifying awardees to scope, develop, and scale high-impact blended finance vehicles that can unlock private capital to advance economic development, inclusive of climate and gender equality, in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Catalytic Climate Finance Facility (CC Facility) is a partnership between Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and Convergence focused on scaling sustainable climate finance by providing grant funding and dedicated acceleration services to early-stage and market-ready financial solutions in sectors that are severely under-financed in developing countries.

The Gender-Responsive Climate Finance Design Funding Window will award early-stage grant funding for the design and launch of innovative blended finance vehicles focused on the intersection of climate change and gender equality in emerging markets globally. This Window is funded by the Government of Canada.

Le Guichet de financement de la conception du financement climatique sensible au genre va accorder des subventions de démarrage pour la conception et le lancement de véhicules de financement mixte innovants axés sur l’intersection des problématiques de changement climatique et d’égalité des genres dans les marchés émergents du monde entier. Ce guichet est financé par le gouvernement du Canada.

The Asia Natural Capital Design Funding Window provided grant funding for the design and launch of catalytic blended finance solutions focused on natural capital in Asia. This Window was funded thanks to the support of the RS Group, a family office based in Asia. It is closed and no longer accepting applications.

The Indo-Pacific Design Funding Window provided grant funding for the design and launch of catalytic blended finance solutions focused on climate finance and gender equality in certain countries in the Indo-Pacific region. This Window was funded by the Australian Government. It is closed and is not accepting applications.

The SDG Impact Finance Initiative’s Innovation Window awards grants for innovative impact finance solutions to mobilize private capital for sustainable development in emerging and frontier markets. The Initiative is funded by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the Swiss Development Cooperation Agency (SDC), the UBS Optimus Foundation, and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. From 2022 to 2024, Convergence supported the design, set-up, launch, and management of the Innovation Window as the strategic implementing partner for the Window’s first three funding cycles, awarding USD 4.6 million to 19 solutions ranging in maturity from feasibility studies to proof of concepts and expansion stage grants across multiple SDGs and the Global South. Review the grant portfolio to learn more.

This competition aimed to identify and award successful existing student financing solutions to: 1.) help more young people enter tertiary education, 2.) drive improved education outcomes, and 3.) increase youth employment. | (French) Ce concours a identifié les solutions de financement d’études existantes qui peuvent aider davantage de jeunes à entrer dans l’enseignement supérieur et ainsi améliorer les résultats en matière d’éducation ainsi que l’augmentation de l’emploi des jeunes. | (Spanish) Este premio identifié soluciones exitosas de financiamión de estudiantes existentes que pueden ayudar a más jóvenes a ingresar a la educación terciaria y, por lo tanto, impulsar mejores resultados educativos, así como un mayor empleo juvenil.

The Global Emerging Markets Design Funding Window provided grant funding for the design and launch of catalytic blended finance solutions across emerging markets. This Window was funded by Global Affairs Canada. It is closed and no longer accepting applications.

The UN Joint SDG Fund (the Fund) aims to close the financing gap to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing countries through systemic action by the UN system. Component 2 of the Fund provides grant funding, preparatory and catalytic grants to initiatives that can deliver a demonstration of concept and leverage investment at scale. Between April 2020 and February 2021, Convergence led an independent evaluation process to evaluate and select initiatives for the First Call on SDG Financing for Component 2 of the Fund.