5 f 2026
Epicenter partners with community Water Service Providers (WSPs) in Kenya to reduce operating costs and improve service reliability through solarisation, data collection and digitalisation. Working with its financial partner, InfoCap, Epicenter supports WSPs to install solar-powered systems and repay investments through the savings and revenue these upgrades generate.
Why we funded: High energy costs and unreliable grid access remain major barriers for water providers in Kenya. Our support helps Epicenter demonstrate how solar technology and blended finance can make water systems more viable — cutting costs, improving reliability and unlocking new funding to scale.
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5 f 2026
Set up by Aqua for All, the Challenge Fund addresses barriers faced by small water service providers in Kenya when attempting to access commercial finance. It provides technical assistance, fintech tools and incentives for banks.
Why we funded: We support this results-based grant platform to help 150 small-scale providers access to €2.5 million in finance, improving services for around 200,000 people.
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5 f 2026
UWCI is a utility turnaround programme that has been set up to demonstrate how high-performing utilities can access commercial financing. The 5-year programme aims to bridge the technical assistance and financing gap that utilities face to become bankable.
Why we funded: This facility complements our work with the World Bank to unlock commercial capital for utilities. We want to test whether the right package of support combined with stakeholder buy-in and guarantees can enable utilities to access significant commercial financing. We also want to help UWCI broaden its funder base.
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5 f 2026
Azure Source Capital is a technical assistance and financing facility for water service providers (WSPs) set up by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the Inter-American Development Bank Lab (IDB Lab) in Central America. Its goal is to improve access and quality of services through affordable debt financing alongside technical assistance to professionalise WSPs.
Why we funded: The facility bridges a critical technical and financing gap for water systems in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. Our investment catalyses local bank lending through an innovative blended finance structure to WSPs that can improve creditworthiness through targeted technical assistance.
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5 f 2026
The World Bank provides global leadership in strengthening water utilities and promoting private sector participation in water service delivery. Through technical assistance and sector reform, it helps governments and operators improve performance, enhance regulation and unlock commercial finance for sustainable water services.
Why we funded: We partner with the World Bank to advance private sector participation in water delivery across five countries — Cambodia, Indonesia, Kenya, the Philippines and Uganda. Our support helps develop stronger business planning, performance improvement and regulatory frameworks that make utilities more creditworthy and capable of attracting private investment.
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