UBS Optimus Foundation Social Success Note

The UBS Optimus Foundation Social Success Note (SSN) is a 5-year financial instrument designed to provide schools in Uganda, Nigeria, and Kenya with access to clean water by leveraging private capital and concessional funding.

• The Social Success Note (SSN) operates as a 5-year loan with a 2-year grace period, starting in 2018, with an initial USD 500,000 working capital loan from the UBS Optimus Foundation. The loan is priced at 5%, with the return increasing to 10% if targets are met. The implementing NGO, Impact Water, installs water purification systems in schools, which are then repaid using savings from fuel previously used to boil water.
• The success of the SSN is measured by whether Impact Water provides an additional 1.4 million children with access to clean safe water over the 5-year term. As of the reporting date, systems have been installed in 600 schools in Uganda. The Rockefeller Foundation provides a bonus payment to cover remaining interest payments if targets are met, while Yunus Social Business manages monitoring and evaluation.
• The SSN instrument is particularly suited for countries with challenging market and policy conditions, such as those with high sovereign debt, low sovereign credit ratings, or limited capital markets, provided there is a stable enough political environment to allow for progress evaluation.

APA

Climate Policy Initiative (2021). UBS Optimus Foundation Social Success Note. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/gca-africa-adaptation-finance/case_studies/ubs-optimus-foundation-social-success-note-2/

Chicago

Climate Policy Initiative. UBS Optimus Foundation Social Success Note. 2021. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/gca-africa-adaptation-finance/case_studies/ubs-optimus-foundation-social-success-note-2/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Policy Initiative |title=UBS Optimus Foundation Social Success Note |date=16 September 2021 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/gca-africa-adaptation-finance/case_studies/ubs-optimus-foundation-social-success-note-2/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatepolicyinitiative2021ubs, author = {{Climate Policy Initiative}}, title = {{UBS Optimus Foundation Social Success Note}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2021}, month = sep, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/gca-africa-adaptation-finance/case_studies/ubs-optimus-foundation-social-success-note-2/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }