Transforming Development Finance Through Outcomes: Scaling the OBF Ambition at FfD4 

On July 3, 2025, the Outcomes Finance Alliance (OFA)  hosted a high-level public-private side event  focused on accelerating SDG impact through outcomes-based financing (OBF) during the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Sevilla, Spain. Co-organized with the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the UBS Optimus Foundation, the Governments of Colombia and Kenya, the OECD, and Levoca, the event built on momentum of OFA’s 2025 Summit in Cali, Colombia. It reinforced the priorities set forth in the Summit’s Declaration, endorsed by a broad coalition of over 60 organizations to scale OBF in FfD4.

Notably, that momentum carried through to the adoption of the UN FfD4 Sevilla Commitment—the first inter-governmentally agreed financing for development framework since 2015—which explicitly references OBF as part of the path to closing the $4 trillion annual SDG financing gap in developing countries.

The event opened with an overview of OFA’s sustained efforts since 2018 to scale the use of OBF, highlighting targeted strategies to strengthen market maturity and embed OBF within mainstream development finance. It featured the announcement of three major initiatives designed to build on this foundation and amplify the scale and impact of OBF:

• The Outcomes Finance Alliance and Outcomes Accelerator are expanding under the Sevilla Platform for Action, to deepen support for the design and launch of outcomes-based finance instruments globally, as announced at the event by State Secretary Patricia Danzi, Director General of the Swiss Development Corporation (SDC). The initiative is being launched with the support of SECO, the UBS Optimus Foundation, the Governments of Colombia, Kenya and South Africa, the OECD, Grand Challenges Canada and Levoca. Click here to learn more about the initiative.
• The release of the OECD Global Guidance on Outcomes-based Finance, to support the mainstreaming and institutionalization of OBF by helping governments and partners design and implement these mechanisms more effectively across diverse contexts, as highlighted by Julia Nielson, Development Co-operation Director at the OECD.
• The successful final closing of a USD 100 million SDG Outcomes Fund, developed by UBS Optimus Foundation,  Bridges Outcomes Partnerships and the European Investment Bank (EIB) to unlock catalytic capital for outcomes-based contracts, with the signing of the partnership at the event by Tom Hall, CEO, UBS Optimus Foundation; Mila Lukic, CEO, Bridges Outcomes Partnerships; and Richard Amor, Director, EIB.

Two high-level panels featuring leaders from multilateral development banks, UN agencies, bilateral donors, and national governments explored how OBF can be more effectively integrated into national systems and scaled through practical tools, catalytic capital, and greater global coordination:

• The first panel, featuring Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); Lisetta Trebbi, Director General, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad); Susan Mang’eni, Principal Secretary, State   Department of   Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development under the Ministry of Cooperative and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Republic of Kenya; Santiago Quiñonez, Presidential Agency for International Cooperation (APC), Government of Colombia; and moderated by Zach Levey, CEO of Levoca and OFA Secretariat, highlighted how OBF can enhance the effectiveness of both international and domestic public resources by sharpening the focus on measurable results, national priorities, and systemic change; and
• The second panel focused on how public-private partnerships in OBF can help reshape development financing at a pivotal moment, and included Leslie Maasdorp, CEO,  British International Investment (BII); Richard Amor, Director, European Investment Bank (EIB); Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of India; Phil Stevens, Director for International Finance at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO); and César Buenadicha, Chief Discovery Officer, IDB Lab; with Tom Hall, CEO, UBS Optimus Foundation, serving as moderator.

Throughout the event, participants underscored that the evidence for scaling and mainstreaming OBF is now well-established, with successful projects delivered across diverse sectors, regions, and income levels. As countries and organizations explore how to expand the use of OBF, speakers highlighted the critical importance of country ownership and systems readiness, including investment in local capacity, data infrastructure, and outcome measurement. They also emphasized the need for strong collaboration between governments and global institutions to foster a coherent, credible, and results-driven financing ecosystem.

The event concluded with a shared recognition that scaling and mainstreaming OBF has now become a strategic imperative for organizations in this moment of systemic change. As countries and institutions rethink the fundamentals of how development is financed and delivered, both at FfD4 and beyond, OBF offers a pathway toward greater accountability, alignment, and impact.

The OFA would like to express heartfelt gratitude to all the organizations that made this event possible with their support of Summit 2025’s Cali Declaration, and for their advocacy which led to the inclusion of OBF in the FfD4 Outcome Document as a key tool to enhance the efficiency and impact of development financing. At OFA, we remain committed to advancing the growth of the OBF market, now with renewed momentum through the Sevilla Platform for Action, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that investments in sustainable development truly improve lives and safeguard our planet for future generations.

Click here for event details and the full list of participants.

To stay up to date on ongoing developments across the OBF community post-FfD4, explore the Outcomes Hub.

About the Outcomes Finance Alliance & the Outcomes Accelerator
The Outcomes Finance Alliance is a global platform that convenes policymakers, investors and delivery partners to mobilize outcomes-based finance. Its Outcomes Accelerator provides transaction support, capacity-building and knowledge sharing to governments and organizations seeking to adopt OBF at scale.

About the annual OFA Summits & Sumit 2025’s Cali Declaration
Every year, over 100 organizations convene at the OFA Annual Summit to discuss current market trends, how to collectively continue moving the market towards maturity, and mainstreaming OBF as a practice in development finance. OFA Summits place a strong emphasis on practical outcomes and deal-making within the outcomes-based community.

The Cali Declaration emerged from the OFA Summit 2025, held in Cali, Colombia, as a shared agenda to scale OBF by embedding it in national systems, aligning global financing efforts, and driving measurable impact in sustainable development. The Cali Declaration sums up the OFA community’s position on OBF and its call to action to scale OBF in FfD4 for greater SDG impact. The support of the Declaration by over 60 organizations reflects a strong and growing alignment around outcomes-based finance as a tool for transforming how public services are financed and delivered. Endorse the Cali Declaration and it’s call to action if you haven’t already!

For more information, please contact:
📧 outcomesaccelerator@levoca.org
🌐 www.outcomesaccelerator.org