Canada's International Assistance Innovation Program (IAIP)
Last updated: 30/10/2026Program Overview
Program description and objectives:
The International Assistance Innovation Program (IAIP) provides funding to private sector initiatives that contribute to economic growth and other development objectives to help reduce poverty.
The private sector, which includes businesses of all sizes and financial institutions, plays an important role in growing economies and reducing poverty in developing countries. They do this by creating jobs and providing goods and services. Attracting private sector investment in developing countries can be challenging due to investment risks like currency fluctuations, instability or lack of financial support to grow businesses.
Through the IAIP, Canada with other private and public partners encourages investment in developing countries. We do this by reducing some of the key financial risks investors may face. This encourages private investors to invest in development projects that they would not have otherwise.
The IAIP's (2024/25- 2028/29) objectives are to:
1. Mobilize additional capital for sustainable economic growth and impact, by engaging with institutional investors.
2. Deepen the impact and reach of Canada’s blended finance and support investments that build local markets. This would include reaching those that are financially underserved, such as women entrepreneurs and smallholder farmers.
3. Leverage Canada’s international assistance resources for greater development impact.
Other issuing providers (optional):
2X Global, Aceli Africa, African Development Bank (AfDB), African Guarantee Fund (AGF), Allianz, BlueOrchard, Convergence, Desjardins International Development (DID), FinDev Canada, GIZ Scaling Capital for Sustainable Development (SCALED), Global Innovation Fund (GIF), International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd), Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), Social Investment Managers and Advisors (SIMA), responsAbility
Instrument types offered:
Grants, Concessional and catalytic debt
Potential instrument structures offered (optional):
Junior, mezzanine, or other subordinated non-convertible debtJunior, mezzanine, or other subordinated convertible debtFlexible loansNon-subordinated debtGrant for technical assistanceGrant paid upfrontReimbursable grant
Institutions this program is normally offered to:
Investment funds, Other, Microfinance institutions, Bilateral Development Finance Institutions (capital made available to private sector via a DFI), National development banks, Credit cooperatives
Eligible regions:
GlobalAfricaAmericasAsiaEuropeOceania
Eligible intermediate regions (optional):
Middle AfricaWestern AfricaSouthern AfricaEastern AfricaNorthern AfricaEastern EuropeSouthern EuropeWestern AsiaSouth-eastern AsiaSouthern AsiaEastern AsiaCentral AsiaSouth AmericaCentral AmericaCaribbeanOceania
Eligible countries (optional):
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)BrazilChileColombiaEcuadorPeruArgentinaGuyanaParaguaySurinameVenezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)Costa RicaGuatemalaEl SalvadorMexicoNicaraguaPanamaHondurasBelizeDominican RepublicCubaDominicaGrenadaHaitiJamaicaSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesAngolaChadCongoDemocratic Republic of the CongoGabonCentral African RepublicEquatorial GuineaCameroonSao Tome and PrincipeBeninCôte d'IvoireGhanaLiberiaNigeriaSenegalSierra LeoneBurkina FasoCabo VerdeGambiaGuineaGuinea-BissauMaliMauritaniaNigerTogoBotswanaNamibiaSouth AfricaEswatiniLesothoEthiopiaKenyaMalawiMozambiqueRwandaUgandaZambiaZimbabweUnited Republic of TanzaniaBurundiComorosDjiboutiEritreaMadagascarSomaliaSouth SudanArmeniaAzerbaijanGeorgiaIraqJordanLebanonSyrian Arab RepublicYemenState of PalestineTürkiyeCambodiaViet NamIndonesiaLao People's Democratic RepublicMalaysiaMyanmarPhilippinesThailandTimor-LesteIndiaSri LankaAfghanistanBangladeshBhutanIran (Islamic Republic of)MaldivesNepalPakistanUkraineRepublic of MoldovaBelarusTunisiaSudanMoroccoLibyaEgyptAlgeriaMontenegroBosnia and HerzegovinaAlbaniaSerbiaDemocratic People's Republic of KoreaChinaMongoliaKyrgyzstanUzbekistanKazakhstanTajikistanTurkmenistanFijiKiribatiMarshall IslandsMicronesia (Federated States of)NiuePalauSamoaSolomon IslandsTokelauTongaTuvaluWallis and Futuna IslandsVanuatuNauru
Eligible sectors:
AgricultureEnergyFinancial servicesEducationIndustry and trade
Program status:
Open
Formal application process:
No
Program webpage (optional):
Primary point of contact for this program:
Request more information?
Optional offering details
Main currencies available:
CAD - Canadian dollar
Preferred ticket size range (in USD equivalent)
Debt, equity, or guarantee:
$5 million - 10 million USD, $10 million - 20 million USD, $20 million - 50 million USD
Grant:
$100,000 - 500,000 USD, $500,000 - 1 million USD, $1 million - 5 million USD
Optional eligibility information
Impact thematic focus:
Gender lens investingSocial inclusionOtherClimate - MitigationClimate - AdaptationClimate - Cross-cutting (adaptation and mitigation)
Description of impact objectives or requirements:
Investments made through the International Assistance Innovation Program (IAIP) must:
1. Have clear international development outcomes in countries eligible for Official Development Assistance (ODA)
2. Mobilize additional public or private funding
3. Integrate gender equality and climate considerations in investments, such as the 2X Challenge Criteria
4. Support investments in multiple countries, rather than single country investments
5. Be repaid to Canada
Optional application process information
Pre-accreditation requirement:
No
Disclaimer
All information on catalytic capital providers and programs was submitted to GCBC by third party capital providers. The Catalytic Capital repository is an open-access online tool that lists information provided by catalytic capital providers in central location for public use.
