Innovative Financing for Education to Leave No One Behind Project

The project “Innovative Financing for Education to Leave No One Behind” focuses on utilising and assessing the contribution of innovation in education financing to bring in more and better financing to reach the most disadvantaged and marginalised groups. The IFE-2-Leave No One Behind project is assessing the contribution of innovation in education financing to bringing in more and better financing to educate the most disadvantaged and marginalised groups over a five-year period, December 2021 -December 2026. In partnership with the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, under the NORRAG Global Education Centre and the Associates for Change (AfC), in Ghana, the project is conducting mixed-method impact research on if and how Innovative Financing mechanisms, arrangements, and programme elements are likely to produce educational benefits for marginalised and vulnerable student populations. 

The project is focusing on Innovative Financing initiatives implemented by UBS Optimus Foundation and Volta Capital in Ghana, India, Kenya, Sierra Leone, and South Africa, – Lending for Education in Africa, Impact Bond Innovation Fund, Quality Education India Development Impact Bond and Chancen international. The project is co-funded by the TRANSFORM research initiative of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the five research and implementation partners.

Innovative financing approaches have gained popularity in the last decade as options for raising additional funds and/or improving the efficiency and effectiveness of existing development funds. However, little research has been conducted to determine if and how innovation in financing itself has contributed to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), notably in improving inclusive and equitable quality education. The IFE-2-Leave No One Behind project aims to contribute evidence to address this knowledge gap.

Project duration: December 2021 – December 2026

UCT Project manager: Dr Nozipho Ngwabi

Project team: Professor Justine Burns, Dr Phumlani Nkontwana , Allan Kimaina , Dr Lauren Rosenberg, Yageshree Moodley and Dr Hillary Musarurwa

For more information, please contact us