Project Eligibility

A company or entrepreneur seeking eligibility in a new venture or an expansion of an existing initiative can submit an investment proposal to the IFC office closest to the proposed project.

Learn How to Apply for Financing...

IFC operates on a commercial basis. It invests exclusively in for-profit projects, fully shares risks with its partners, and charges market rates for its products and services. Projects cover three broad areas:

• Financial products: IFC’s traditional and largest activity is to finance private sector projects in developing countries. IFC provides loans, equity, and quasi-equity financial instruments, in addition to risk management products and intermediary finance.

• Advisory services: IFC provides advice, risk management, and other technical services to businesses and governments in the LAC region. Advisory services seek to promote pro-business environments, access to finance, local benefits for all economic actors, and infrastructure development -- oftentimes addressing business-related and industry-specific regulatory issues.

• Resource mobilization: IFC assists private clients and governments access international capital markets. The cornerstone of this effort is the loan participation program, which arranges syndicated loans from banks.

Project Eligibility
- The project must be located in an IFC member country in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region
- It must be in the private sector
- It must be technically sound
- It must have good prospects of being profitable
- It must have a strong social impact and benefit the local economy
- It must be environmentally and socially sound, satisfying IFC standards and those of the host country

IFC's Added Value

A unique role: IFC financing is done on market terms. However instead of competing with private capital, IFC complements it. IFC seeks to establish itself as a long-term partner, investing in projects that meet sustainable investment criteria. Many IFC clients cannot access financing or technical expertise through traditional sources, and thus IFC offers a unique opportunity for investment and advisory services.

Relationships and experience: IFC has extensive experience building relationships with foreign governments, knowledge of how to do business in developing countries, and years of sector-specific expertise. As an independent international organization, IFC assists companies and sponsors negotiate with host governments.

Expertise on sustainability: By working with IFC, companies draw on the expertise and reputation of a partner recognized for its social and environmental safeguards. Clients worldwide are recognizing that long-term profitability is best enhanced when investments are made with a sustainable, responsible approach.