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U.S. International Development Finance Corporation

DFI
United States
iSustain score 100Moderate· 3–6 months

US development finance institution mobilising private capital into emerging markets.

Geographic focus

Pan-African
Sub-Saharan Africa
North Africa
South Asia
Southeast Asia
East Asia
Central Asia
Middle East
Latin America & Caribbean
Pacific Islands
Eastern Europe

Sector appetite

Energy
Health
Infrastructure
Technology

Finance instruments

Debt
Equity
Political Risk Insurance
Guarantees

Project stages

Construction
Growth
Operational

Typical ticket size

$5m – $1bn

Readiness requirements

US nexus preferred, environmental and social policy compliance

Partnership preferences

Private sponsors and co-lenders

Contact

info@dfc.gov

iSustain relevance score

  • Regional focus & relevance30/30
  • Access & contactability25/25
  • Financing programmes & instruments — 3 open or rolling15/15
  • Instrument breadth15/15
  • Data freshness15/15

Weighted 0–100: Africa focus 30, access & contactability 25, live windows 15, instrument breadth 15, data freshness 15.

Access difficulty

Moderate· 3–6 months

Direct approach possible; published application route; minimum ticket $5m+.

  • Counterparty requirement — Direct counterparty0/5
  • Application process — Published application route0/3
  • Ticket floor — Minimum ticket $5m+2/3
  • Readiness burden — 1 readiness requirements identified0/2
  • Internal approval process — Investment committee process1/2

A rating of how hard this capital is to reach — not a prediction of whether an application will succeed. Built from the counterparty required, the published application route, the minimum ticket, the readiness evidence expected and the internal approval process.

Instruments & programmes

What a client can actually approach this organisation for, and how access works.

DFC Debt Financing

Facility
Direct Lending
Open

Senior loans and guarantees up to $1bn for private projects, with a large climate and energy portfolio in Africa.

Access route

Direct application

Ticket size

$10m – $1bn — $10m–$1bn; small-business window from $1m

Geographic focus

Eastern Europe
Latin America & Caribbean
Pan-African
South Asia
Southeast Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa

Sector focus

Renewable Energy
Infrastructure
Health
Financial Services

Project stages

Construction
Operational

Eligibility

Projects with meaningful US nexus or development impact; private sponsors.

How to access

Submit an online application via the DFC website.

DFC Political Risk Insurance

Insurance Product
Political Risk Insurance
Open

Cover for currency inconvertibility, expropriation, political violence and breach of contract, up to $1bn per project.

Access route

Direct application

Ticket size

up to $1bn — Up to $1bn cover

Geographic focus

Eastern Europe
Latin America & Caribbean
Pan-African
South Asia
Southeast Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa

Sector focus

Infrastructure
Renewable Energy
Mining

Project stages

Construction
Operational

Eligibility

US and qualifying foreign investors and lenders.

How to access

Apply through DFC's insurance team.

DFC Project Finance and Political Risk Insurance

Instrument
Debt
Rolling

DFC's core offering of senior debt, equity, guarantees and political risk insurance for private projects in eligible emerging markets.

Access route

Rolling application through the DFC portal

Ticket size

$1m – $1bn — Direct loans usually from $10m; small business window from $1m

Geographic focus

South Asia
Southeast Asia
East Asia
Central Asia
Middle East
Latin America & Caribbean
Pacific Islands
Eastern Europe
Sub-Saharan Africa
Pan-African

Sector focus

Renewable Energy
Infrastructure
Health
Digital Infrastructure

Project stages

Development
Construction
Operational

Eligibility

Private projects in DFC-eligible countries meeting environmental, social and integrity screening.

How to access

Complete the DFC application form online; screening then full underwriting.

DFC Technical Assistance & Feasibility Grants

Project Preparation Facility
Project Preparation
Open

Feasibility study and technical assistance funding to move early-stage projects toward DFC investment.

Access route

Direct application

Ticket size

up to $1m — Typically up to $1m

Geographic focus

Latin America & Caribbean
Pan-African
South Asia
Southeast Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa

Sector focus

Renewable Energy
Infrastructure

Project stages

Concept
Feasibility
Development

Eligibility

Sponsors of projects plausibly financeable by DFC.

How to access

Request alongside a project application.

Related capital sources

Other funders with an overlapping mandate.

Browse by theme in the finance guides.

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