SIFI Announces the Winners of its fifth Innovation Window Call for Proposals for Climate Adaptation and Resilience

The SDG Impact Finance Initiative (SIFI) is pleased to announce the five organisations selected through its fifth Innovation Window Call for Proposals, focused on Climate Adaptation and Resilience. Following a competitive two-stage selection process, the five organisations were recommended for funding by an independent Investment Committee. Due diligence has now been successfully completed for all five selected initiatives, with grant support subject to the successful completion of the contracting process.

The Call for Proposals was supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), UBS Optimus Foundation and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

The new cohort will advance financial solutions designed to mobilise private capital for climate adaptation in emerging markets and developing economies.

FINANCING SOLUTIONS FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE

Launched in November 2025, the Call for Proposals sought financial innovations aligned with SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, and SDG 13: Climate Action.

The call targeted solutions spanning climate risk analytics, resilient infrastructure, nature-based solutions, financial and risk-transfer mechanisms, and adaptation products, services and technologies. Applicants were assessed on their contribution to climate adaptation, financial innovation, scalability, delivery capacity, private capital mobilisation and the additionality of SIFI’s support.

Subject to the successful completion of the contracting process, SIFI will provide tailored grant support ranging from approximately CHF 130,000 to CHF 475,000 per initiative. The funding will support activities including feasibility studies, financial modelling and structuring, market validation, fundraising, pipeline development and early-stage implementation.

THE SELECTED INNOVATORS

Adaptation Asia: Panra Fund

Developed in partnership with TerrAvant, the Panra Fund will provide revenue-based debt financing adapted to the cash-flow cycles of agribusinesses in Southeast Asia. The model integrates climate measurement technology into investment assessment, monitoring and revenue models, supporting the measurement of soil, biodiversity and ecosystem resilience outcomes.

The grant will support feasibility work and a pilot integrating climate measurement technology to quantify soil and biodiversity gains.

Big Valley GmbH: Ag360

Ag360 is a blended climate adaptation fund for agriculture designed to provide project finance and corporate debt to biochar projects and circular agrifood enterprises across Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America. It aims to address the limited availability of suitable financing for biochar developers and climate-resilient agrifood businesses.

SIFI’s support will help Ag360 advance towards its first close through fund structuring, fundraising and the execution of early pilot transactions.

Conservation International Foundation: Coastal Resilience Impact Bond

The Coastal Resilience Impact Bond is an outcomes-based blended finance instrument designed to mobilise private capital for coastal nature-based solutions, particularly mangrove conservation. The proposed structure combines blue carbon assets, technical assistance and risk mitigation features to improve the investment viability of coastal resilience projects across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

SIFI’s support will contribute to the assessment of mangrove conservation projects, financial modelling, bond structuring and market validation.

GAWA Capital Partners: SECURE Fund

The Strengthening and Enhancing Credit Unions’ Resilience and Endurance Fund, known as SECURE, is being developed by GAWA Capital Partners with the World Council of Credit Unions. The blended finance mechanism will help credit unions become climate adaptation lenders by combining climate-informed lending frameworks with a trigger-based contingency credit line designed to provide support before, during and after climate shocks.

SIFI’s support will fund feasibility work to assess a business model for deploying and scaling adaptation technologies through credit union networks.

Nexus for Development: Pioneer Facility

The Pioneer Facility is a blended impact debt fund focused on early-growth climate adaptation enterprises in Southeast Asia and Bangladesh. It will provide flexible, uncollateralised financing to businesses delivering essential services, including piped water and off-grid clean energy systems, that often struggle to access conventional growth capital.

SIFI’s support will help strengthen the Facility’s due diligence and pipeline development capacity, alongside fundraising and marketing activities.

SUPPORTING INNOVATION FROM CONCEPT TO CAPITAL

Together, the five selected initiatives address different parts of the climate adaptation finance landscape, from resilient agriculture and coastal ecosystems to credit unions, water services and distributed clean energy.

Through its Innovation Window, SIFI supports feasibility studies, proof of concept and the early-stage scaling of impact investment solutions. The objective is to help promising financial innovations overcome initial development barriers, strengthen their investment readiness and build credible pathways for mobilising private capital at scale.