EIB’s Anchor Commitment Brings SDG Outcomes Fund to USD 100 Million Final Close

EIB’s Anchor Commitment Brings SDG Outcomes Fund to USD 100 Million Final Close

(IN BRIEF) The SDG Outcomes Fund, a USD 100 million blended-finance vehicle created by UBS Optimus Foundation and Bridges Outcomes Partnerships, has achieved final close with an additional USD 18 million anchor commitment from the EIB—backed by the European Commission via the ACP Trust Fund. This pioneering fund disburses payments only upon verified social and environmental outcomes, supporting programs in health, education, women’s economic empowerment, and environmental protection across low- and middle-income countries. To date, nearly USD 13.5 million in outcome payments have been made, benefiting hundreds of thousands of people and demonstrating a scalable, results-driven model for impact investing.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 4-Jul-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Investment Bank (EIB) has joined the SDG Outcomes Fund with an anchor commitment of USD 18 million—backed by the European Commission via the ACP Trust Fund—helping the fund reach its USD 100 million final close. Developed by UBS Optimus Foundation and Bridges Outcomes Partnerships, this pioneering blended-finance vehicle is the first to support outcomes-based programs in low- and middle-income countries, driving measurable social and environmental impact.

Launched at the Fourth UN International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Seville, the Luxembourg-domiciled, SFDR Article 9 SDG Outcomes Fund brings together first-loss capital from UBS Optimus Foundation, portfolio management by Bridges Outcomes Partnerships, mezzanine and senior funding from the US International Development Finance Corporation and British International Investment, and commitments from private investors such as Legatum, the Tsao Family Office, and Ferd. With the EIB’s contribution, the fund now targets a new PLN 2.6 billion portfolio of health, education, women’s economic empowerment, and environmental programs across Africa and Asia.

By financing programs only upon the achievement of verified outcomes—rather than activities—the fund has already disbursed nearly USD 13.5 million in outcome payments.

Early successes include:

• Supporting over 50,000 schools in India and 100,000+ children in Sierra Leone and Ghana
• Delivering 1.5 million+ reproductive health services to 700,000 girls aged 15–19 in Kenya
• Collecting 3,000 tons of plastic waste for recycling in Nigeria
• Providing IT upskilling and employment to 800+ long-term unemployed young adults in Türkiye

Tom Hall, Global Head of Social Impact and Philanthropy at UBS Optimus Foundation, said:

“Reaching the USD 100 million milestone shows the transformative power of outcomes-based funding—catalyzing capital to deliver real, measurable impact for those who need it most.”

Mila Lukic OBE, CEO of Bridges Outcomes Partnerships, added:

“Our data-driven, collaborative model adapts in real time to secure better outcomes and value. We’re grateful to all investors for enabling high-impact interventions in critical areas of need.”

Ambroise Fayolle, Vice-President of the EIB, commented:

“Our anchor commitment underscores the EIB’s dedication to financing that delivers tangible social and environmental gains, particularly in Africa and emerging markets.”

European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela noted:

“Through the ACP Trust Fund, we’re investing in impactful education, jobs, and health systems—core objectives of the Global Gateway initiative.”

Leslie Maasdorp, CEO of British International Investment, said:

“BII is proud to support this fund’s mission to improve livelihoods. We thank the EIB for its support in reaching the USD 100 million target and look forward to continued success.”

Background information

About UBS

UBS is a leading and truly global wealth manager and the leading universal bank in Switzerland. It also provides diversified asset management solutions and focused investment banking capabilities. UBS manages 6.1 trillion dollars of invested assets as per fourth quarter 2024. UBS helps clients achieve their financial goals through personalized advice, solutions and products. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, the firm is operating in more than 50 markets around the globe. UBS Group shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

About UBS Optimus Foundation

Established 25 years ago, the UBS Optimus Foundation is a global network of separately organized and regulated, tax-exempt, charitable organizations, founded and managed by UBS, that offers UBS clients a platform to use their wealth to drive positive social and environmental change. The Foundation selects programs that have the potential to be transformative, scalable, and sustainable.

About Bridges Outcomes Partnerships

Bridges Outcomes Partnerships (BOP) is a not-for-profit dedicated to radically improving outcomes for people, planet, and value for society, by creating a world where funders partner based on impact. Bridges has been a world-leader in the design and delivery of ‘outcomes partnerships’ since 2012. Its team has worked with funders (including multilateral and bilateral donors, national and local governments, philanthropy, corporates and others), social investors, community groups, and delivery partners across the world to design, structure, deliver, and manage over 80 of these programs. To date these have achieved over US$280m worth of outcomes for 935,000 people. In the UK alone, the estimated public value created by these outcomes partnerships has been estimated at c. £1.3bn.

About European Investment Bank

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives.

EIB Global is the EIB Group’s specialised arm devoted to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance, and a key partner of Global Gateway. It aims to support €100 billion of investment by the end of 2027 – around one-third of the overall target of this EU initiative. Within Team Europe, EIB Global fosters strong, focused partnerships alongside fellow development finance institutions and civil society. EIB Global brings the EIB Group closer to people, companies and institutions through its offices across the world.

The African, Caribbean and Pacific Trust Fund (ACP Trust Fund) was created in 2023. It is managed by the EIB under the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus governance and funded from reflows of the ACP Investment Facility. It aims to foster the sustainable economic, social and environmental development of African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, with the primary aim of promoting growth and prosperity. The ACP Trust Fund invests in high-impact projects for the private sector by offering technical assistance and financial instruments such as equity, quasi-equity, subordinated debt, risk-sharing and local currency lending, with particular focus on Least Developed Countries (LDC) and countries in fragile situations.

About British International Investment

British International Investment is the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor. As a trusted investment partner to businesses in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, BII invests to create productive, sustainable and inclusive economies in our markets. Between 2022-2026, at least 30 per cent of BII’s total new commitments by value will be in climate finance. BII is also a founding member of the 2X Challenge which has raised over US $33.6 billion to empower women’s economic development. The company has investments in over 1,580 businesses across 65 countries and total net assets of £8.5 billion. For more information, visit: www.bii.co.uk | watch here. Follow British International Investment on LinkedIn and X.

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SOURCE: European Investment Bank