DID receives the Innovation and Impact Award for its blended finance model
We are very proud to receive the 2025 Innovation and Impact Award in the Organization category, presented by Cooperation Canada and World University Service of Canada (WUSC) in honour of Lewis Perinbam! This distinction recognizes our innovative blended finance model and its tangible impact on the economic empowerment of vulnerable populations. DID received the award on February 6 at a ceremony that featured, among others, Canada's Minister of International Development, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen.
Through the Aequitas investment fund, we have established a unique blended finance model that plays a key role in the financial inclusion of marginalized entrepreneurs and smallholder farmers, especially women and youth. By allocating patient capital to inclusive finance institutions committed to development, gender equality and climate action, we help transform lives and create sustainable opportunities where they are most needed.
An innovative public-private partnership for large-scale sustainable development
In 2024, Aequitas attracted a CAD 22.9 million investment from Global Affairs Canada (GAC), bringing the fund's total envelope to CAD 87.9 million. This was GAC's first investment in a Canadian limited partnership. At the same time, GAC and DID co-financed the implementation of a technical assistance facility enabling DID to build the capacity of inclusive finance institutions supported by Aequitas, so that they can better meet the needs of their clients and improve their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance.
“Through this approach, we aim to create a leverage effect that will multiply the resources mobilized with the common goal of accelerating the achievement of sustainable development goals. The new partnership we have just established with Global Affairs Canada marks a major milestone in the evolution of Canada's intervention model in international development, and I salute GAC's commitment to promoting innovation and sustainability in its development actions”, says Gerardo Almaguer, President and CEO of DID.
To date, Aequitas has made 16 investments in Madagascar, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Tajikistan, Georgia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Kenya and Zambia. The CAD 40 million invested directly reached 686,160 people, 52% of whom are women and almost half of whom live in rural areas.
By leveraging local capacities and integrating solutions tailored to the needs of target populations, we are building the confidence and leadership of marginalized groups and contributing to equitable and sustainable development, fostering a more inclusive and resilient economy worldwide.