The investment is being made by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) part of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).  The funding includes CHF9 million specifically allocated to support projects in Zambia and Zimbabwe through UNCDF, as well as CHF5 million directly invested into the global BUILD Fund. CHF1 million is set aside for the provision of pre- and post-investment technical assistance for investee companies through the BUILDER Technical Assistance (TA) Facility managed by UNCDF.

The BUILD Fund is a partnership between UNCDF and Bamboo Capital Partners, which provides “missing middle” finance to small-and-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that have the potential for strong development impact and financial viability in the world’s least developed countries (LDCs).