The Outcomes Accelerator – a catalytic platform to accelerate more effective testing, scaling and mainstreaming of outcomes-based financing in the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals – has announced its first cohort of winners. Three projects have been selected to receive Accelerator funding and support following a highly competitive call for proposals.

Awardees of the Outcomes Accelerator will receive flexible funding, targeted expertise, and networking to support project proponents in bringing their early- and late-stage projects to launch.

The Governing Committee of the Outcomes Accelerator is comprised of its funders, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the UBS Optimus Foundation and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK (FCDO), which are supported by Levoca LLC as the Secretariat.

The three winning projects were primarily focused on three SDG areas: education, health, and work and economic growth. Accelerator funding will help these projects complete critical feasibility and design work in order to launch.

The winning proposals are:

• Catalyzing a Results-Driven Supply Chain to Improve Health Outcomes in Africa: Total Impact Capital and partners, such as the Africa Resource Centre (ARC), will aim to undertake late-stage design to work launch a Pay-for-Performance Supply Chain Trust to enhance the performance of private sector medical supply chains in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Rwanda.
• Scaling Maternal Health Solutions in Angola: MAZE Impact and partners aim to scale up an innovative maternal health intervention and design an impact bond to improve the lives of 30,000 pregnant women and their families in the province of Luanda.
• Schools Eye Health Accelerator in Vietnam: Vision Catalyst Fund, Tri-Sector Associates, and partners will aim to design a Social Impact Guarantee (SIG) to fund a government-driven school eye health program in Vietnam to improve the quality of and access to eye care services and educational outcomes for children.

The next call for proposals for the second cohort is expected to be announced in the third quarter of 2023.