Blended Finance Learning Forum – Series 1

Aimed at igniting thought leadership, on adoption of innovative financing models that will help the region to build back stronger post-COVID 19.

The broader theme in having this virtual seminar series is about igniting thought leadership, collaboration and action around the adoption of innovative financing models that will help Kenya, and by extension East Africa, Build Back Stronger post COVID, while also achieving the UN SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs).

Africa faces a $500b – $1.2trillion annual SDG financing gap between now and 2030. Traditional development aid from public and philanthropic sources is just not enough to meet this deficit because the funding landscape has changed from aid to trade, or in some instances to very little or no aid. In addition, COVID-19 has highlighted the need for: (1) more collaboration between diverse development players/social investors and (2) new models of financing that can help drive scale.

The organizers of this virtual seminar series, believe that Blended Finance can disrupt traditional development finance as we know it, by leveraging and deploying grant funds as catalytic risk capital in order to attract and crowd-in private sector capital for development initiatives. To help promote the concept of Blended Finance, relevant and timely knowledge on the subject of innovative financing is critical. This virtual seminar series is one way of building and capturing that knowledge.