Strengthening the Evidence Base
Grant-funded research projects to analyze the uses of catalytic capital around the world
*C3 is not accepting unsolicited proposals at this time
Study, document, and make recommendations for the role of catalytic capital in India’s artisan sector, with a specific focus on how it applies to craft-based micro, small, and medium-sized businesses.
Geographic Focus:
India
Grant Amount:
$148,005
Gather data and generate industry learning alongside the implementation of a pioneering catalytic capital model focused on agricultural small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in East Africa and relevant to other sectors globally.
Geographic Focus:
East Africa
Grant Amount:
$220,000
Outline why, where, and how catalytic capital has been deployed in Ghana to drive the growth of SMEs, the positive and negative outcomes of the financing, and what gaps still exist.
Geographic Focus:
Ghana
Grant Amount:
$149,690
Deepen the collective understanding of how catalytic capital has spurred development of a thriving digital credit industry in some markets, how this capital has driven growth, and how it has led to unintended consequences.
Geographic Focus:
Global
Grant Amount:
$107,891
Evaluate how catalytic capital is being deployed in Indigenous communities and to Indigenous-led enterprises and entrepreneurs. By articulating knowledge gaps, this research will push funders to deploy catalytic capital to address some of the starkest racial and socio-economic disparities in North America.
Geographic Focus:
United States
Grant Amount:
$175,827
Accelerate data collection for the Impact Finance Database with a focus on researching catalytic capital. IFRC will then share findings in a practitioner-oriented report, professional convenings, webinars, and podcasts.
Geographic Focus:
Global
Grant Amount:
$200,000
Research the perspectives of entrepreneurs in the Global South as the end users of catalytic capital, focusing on creating positive impact in developing and emerging markets.
Geographic Focus:
Global South
Grant Amount:
$150,000
Collect and share information on past and present catalytic capital deployments in employee-owned enterprises in the United States, a sector that includes an estimated 7,000 firms. It will highlight key lessons learned, under-explored vehicles for finance, and potential pathways to scale.
Geographic Focus:
United States
Grant Amount:
$99,710
Analyze the experience of multiple funds providing catalytic and other capital to African entrepreneurs through more than 150 transactions in order to share best practices and provide recommendations to maximize the efficiency of catalytic capital.
Geographic Focus:
Sub-Saharan Africa
Grant Amount:
$115,000
Synthesize evidence on the ways that catalytic capital has supported wealth creation in Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities and identify additional investment opportunities for catalytic capital providers to contribute to dismantling the racial wealth gap and advancing an inclusive economic recovery from COVID-19.
Geographic Focus:
United States
Grant Amount:
$149,863
Explore specific segments of dynamic small and growing businesses (SGBs) in Africa to document how catalytic debt could unlock growth. This work brings the voice of SGBs into the conversation about catalytic capital, while identifying potential ways to enable participation from local debt providers and opportunities for impact.
Geographic Focus:
Sub-Saharan Africa
Grant Amount:
$148,000
Research the characteristics of both the demand side and the supply side of the housing sector in 8 countries in Eastern and Southeastern Europe and identify bottlenecks that need to be overcome for the two sides to meet.
Geographic Focus:
Eastern/Southeastern Europe
Grant Amount:
$150,000
Characterize capital gaps in science and engineering innovation that are matched to key social challenges, and build a framework to help practitioners decide whether or not a specific gap might be appropriate for catalytic capital intervention.
Geographic Focus:
Global
Grant Amount:
$200,000
Delve into transaction-level insights—both market-rate and catalytic capital—to better understand how and where mission-driven organizations are deploying catalytic capital and the gaps that remain. Using Cleveland as a case study, the project looks at the impact of small business lending, mortgage finance, and commercial real estate finance.
Geographic Focus:
United States
Grant Amount:
$154,035