Most recent Evaluation highlights NDF's unique role in climate and development finance
Photo: Ignitia
The NDF Performance Evaluation, delivered by an independent evaluator, sheds light on the overall positive assessment of our performance.
An independent evaluator, the Institute of Development Strategy, conducted a comprehensive performance evaluation of NDF’s performance during the period of its Strategy 2025. The evaluation focused on areas regarding NDF’s operational activities and strategic direction with key aspects, covering NDF’s operational efficiency, comparative strengths, weaknesses, strategic opportunities and challenges.
A growing engagement with the private sector
The evaluation confirms how NDF has successfully carved out its unique position as an innovative institution providing catalytic, early-stage, high-risk concessional financing. During the strategy period 2020 to 2025, NDF has built a robust portfolio of projects, with a growing engagement with the private sector, in line with the Strategy 2025 and the fast-paced climate and development landscape.
These efforts have translated into tangible climate and development results, which are systematically captured in NDF’s Results Reports. Since 2020, NDF has also strengthened its institutional and legal frameworks, policies and procedures and transformed into an institution recognised by its high professional standards.
Concessional financing with innovative approaches
One of NDF’s standout strengths is its ability to provide concessional financing without specific return requirements. This flexibility has enabled greater risk-taking and innovation. This is seen as a comparative advantage in its field. The evaluation highlights NDF’s agility, flexible decision-making and deep technical expertise across various financial instruments and thematic areas have been important in its operations.
The independent evaluation was conducted from November 2024 to May 2025 by two senior evaluators, Markus Palenberg and Ann Bartholomew, along with analyst Andrea Deisenrieder.
NDF’s management welcomes the evaluation’s conclusions and recommendations, and a detailed Management Response has been developed and discussed with the Board as part of the upcoming strategy revision discussions. NDF will launch its new Strategy in early 2026.