Publications

Mar 24, 2021

Armenia Women Entrepreneurship Study

This report presents a synthesis of the main findings of both a qualitative study conducted among women entrepreneurs in Armenia and a quantitative survey conducted among over 400 Armenian businesses. The two studies focused on revealing the patterns, perceptions, opportunities and challenges facing women entrepreneurs in Armenia, including those due to COVID-19.

English | 120 pages | 2021 IFC

Mar 23, 2021

COVID-19 and Women-Led MSMEs in sub-Saharan Africa

The study reports that women-led MSMEs have been hard-hit by the pandemic due to their smaller size and concentration in heavily affected sectors.

English | 56 pages | IFC 2021

Mar 23, 2021

LAPO Agent Banking in Nigeria - Increased Reach, Client Diversity

Nigeria’s Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO) and IFC have a long-standing relationship that began in 2012. In 2017 in the context of this partnership, to help serve unbanked people and those with limited or no access to financial services, LAPO piloted an agent-banking network to expand financial access to the unbanked..

English | 17 pages | IFC 2021

Feb 28, 2021

Blended Concessional Finance and COVID-19

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments, development institutions, and private companies are trying to find mechanisms to prevent the loss of essential economic activity under difficult and uncertain market conditions. In this context, blended concessional finance deployed by DFIs is already playing an even greater role than in the recent past, as it can help bridge critical financing gaps by placing important projects within the risk tolerance of private sector investors and DFIs, despite great market and financial uncertainty. Blended concessional finance will play a critical role to ensure that the response to the pandemic remains focused on the most difficult markets and, as efforts to rebuild are put in motion, the rebuilding is done in an inclusive and climate and gender-smart manner.

English | 8 pages | IFC 2021

Feb 10, 2021

GB-TAP Brochure: Delivering Global Public Goods

In 2018, IFC launched the Green Bond Technical Assistance Program (GB-TAP) to respond to the climate crisis by creating a market for green bonds in developing countries. Through this program, IFC and its partners will create global public goods to stimulate the supply of green bonds in emerging market countries in order to meet growing demand for these bonds.

Feb 10, 2021

Green Bond Funds: Impact Reporting Practices 2020

This report surveys green bond funds and investors, provides an analysis of impact reporting practices and case studies from green bond funds, and offers an examination of the challenges of impact data collection and aggregation.

Feb 3, 2021

Using Blended Concessional Finance to Invest in Challenging Markets—Economic Considerations, Transparency, Governance , and Lessons of Experience

This report examines IFC’s two decades of experience supporting pioneering projects with blended concessional finance. The report addresses issues such as why and when concessional finance is appropriate to support private sector projects; the key transparency, access, and governance processes required to implement projects efficiently and effectively; the principles for selecting and structuring projects; how to use blended concessional finance to invest in lower-income countries; and the different ways of structuring concessional finance facilities used by DFIs.

English | 64 pages | IFC 2021

Jan 29, 2021

Business Case Update #3: Lower NPLs for Women-Owned SMEs

Jan 14, 2021

Taking Action on Trade: From Concern to Support

This note investigates COVID-19-related trade restrictions and discusses their consequences. It also illuminates the importance of trade, especially during the current pandemic, through the voices of global leaders as well as a collective set of emerging market voices.

English | 18 pages | IFC 2021

Jan 6, 2021

Private Credit in Emerging Markets

Private credit broadly refers to nonbank lending to firms. Since the Global Financial Crisis of 2008–2009, private credit has grown considerably. Although the phenomenon of private credit is more predominant in the United States and the United Kingdom, it is also a growing asset class in emerging markets. Private credit appeals to borrowers because of bespoke, structured solutions, longer maturities, greater flexibility, and ease of doing business. Investors also like private credit, because of its attractive risk-adjusted returns. The global economic shock resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has seen marked changes in production and consumption patterns in the real economy, with ripple effects in credit markets. Uncertainty and increased risk aversion spiked a rush to top up liquidity—the so-called ‘dash for cash’— primarily in the bank-intermediated credit and public capital markets.

English | 8 pages—January—Note 98 | IFC 2021

Dec 14, 2020

Corporate Sustainable Bonds in Emerging Markets

An analysis of the status and market potential for green and sustainability or SDG bonds in emerging markets

English | 2 pages | 2017 IFC

Dec 10, 2020

Bridging the Gap: Emerging Private Sector Response and Recovery Measures for Gender Equality amid COVID-19

As COVID-19 widens global gender gaps, IFC and UN Women have partnered to showcase a growing number of companies and organizations around the world that are taking action to ensure the economic inclusion and social well-being of their employees, customers, and suppliers, as well as local communities. This report aims to inform companies around the world on emerging practices and initiatives for supporting women employees, entrepreneurs, and those in value chains amid the pandemic.

English | 34 pages | 2020 IFC & UN Women

Dec 8, 2020

Sustainable Finance Practices in South African Retirement Funds

A look at opportunities to unlock investment in green & climate finance & support a resilient economy

English | 66 pages | 2020 IFC

Nov 19, 2020

Why Trade Finance Matters—Especially Now

This note, the second of IFC’s “Trade and COVID Trilogy,” collects and analyzes trade-related findings from over 70 “Daily News Summaries” and other data sources from late March to early November, 2020.

Nov 11, 2020

Crowdsourcing the Future of SME Financing

This publication showcases best articles from SME practitioners globally on what SME finance will look like in 2030.

Oct 31, 2020

Handbook on Merchant Payments and Digital Financial Services

Designed for digital financial service (DFS) providers that would like to build and manage merchant acceptance networks. Such DFS providers typically include financial institutions, mobile network operators, fintechs, payment service providers and others. The handbook offers best practices that IFC has tested and observed through our global digital-finance projects and engagements.

English | 92 pages | 2020 IFC

Oct 26, 2020

Digital Transformation - The Case of South India Bank

In 2016, IFC began a new project with South Indian Bank (SIB), a mid-sized private bank (currently third largest in southern India). The bank aimed to transform its retail and small and medium enterprise businesses (SMEs). SIB’s transformation strategy was to improve its digital capabilities to drive customer engagement and mobilize deposits.

English | 24 pages | 2020 IFC

Oct 23, 2020

When Trade Falls—Effects of COVID-19 and Outlook

This note provides an overview of this year’s multi-body trade forecasts and the extent to which those forecasts were realized as reported across various publications.

English | 36 pages | 2020 IFC

Oct 21, 2020

Women-owned enterprises in Vietnam

Perceptions and Potential

Oct 21, 2020

COVID-19 and the Insurance Industry

Why a Gender-Sensitive Response Matters

Oct 14, 2020

Handbook - Technology and Digitization in Supply-Chain Finance

Digital integration of “traditional” retailers and distributors along supply chains can establish a pathway toward financial inclusion. In this handbook, IFC shares our deep expertise and lessons learned with financial institutions that seek to integrate these traditional businesses into digital-banking networks.

English | 164 pages | 2020 IFC

Oct 7, 2020

Non-Financial Services - The Key to Unlocking the Growth Potential of Women-led SMEs for Banks

IFC and FMO (Dutch entrepreneurial development bank) joint report on how nonfinancial services help women-led SMEs grow while also providing a return on investment for banks and other financial institutions

English | 66 pages | 2020 IFC

Oct 6, 2020

How the COVID-19 crisis is impacting African pension fund approaches to portfolio management

This note assesses the short-to-medium term impact of the COVID crisis on emerging African pension fund sectors’ portfolio management approaches and related challenges and opportunities that the crisis has brought to light.

English | 15 pages | 2020 IFC