A Checklist for Assessing the Impact of Blended Finance on the Poor

The checklist is intended to be used by any blended finance provider interested in measuring the impact of a transaction on poor beneficiaries, on markets that serve the poor, or on standards and institutions that protect or empower the poor. It is up to each blended finance provider to assess the importance of benefits for the poor in its mission, in its portfolio, and in individual transactions. There is no intention to impose a specific definition of blended finance—both the DFI or OECD variants are relevant. We anticipate that the emphasis on benefiting the poor is particularly salient in transactions that include a concessional or aid element because many donors seek to prioritize use of scarce grant or other concessional resources to benefit the poor. But the checklist may also be used in fully commercial blended finance transactions.