UBS Optimus Foundation Social Success Note

The Social Success Note (SSN) is a 5-year, USD 500,000 working capital loan provided by the UBS Optimus Foundation to the NGO Impact Water to install water purification systems in Ugandan schools. The model utilizes a repayment structure where schools use fuel savings from not boiling water to pay back interest-free loans. The instrument incorporates outcome-based payments from the Rockefeller Foundation and monitoring by Yunus Social Business, aiming to provide 1.4 million children with clean water. While currently implemented in Uganda, Nigeria, and Kenya, the document suggests this concessional instrument is suited for countries with low sovereign credit ratings and limited capital markets.

• The Social Success Note (SSN) is a 5-year loan starting in 2018 with a 2-year grace period, initially priced at 5% with a potential increase to 10% for the UBS Optimus Foundation if targets are met. The primary goal is for Impact Water to provide an additional 1.4 million children with access to clean safe water over the term.
• As of the reporting date, Impact Water has installed water purification systems in 600 schools in Uganda. The financial model relies on schools repaying loans using savings from fuel that would otherwise be used to boil water.
• The instrument is designed for environments with challenging market and policy conditions, such as those with high sovereign debt, low credit ratings, or limited capital markets, provided there is sufficient political stability for monitoring and 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} }