Black primary school girl with natural hair in twists and dressed in maroon uniform with white inside shirt seated in a classroom looking over her shoulder into the camera

Building a Resilient Caribbean

In March 2025, Contributors approved a US$460 million programme for the 11th Cycle of the Caribbean Development Bank’s Special Development Fund (SDF 11), which will run from 2025 to 2028. This replenishment represents a significant increase over the US$383 million for the 10th Cycle, which concluded in December 2024.

The flagship fund, CDB’s largest pool of concessional financing, plays a critical role in reducing poverty and advancing human development across the Bank’s Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs). With SDF 11, the Bank will continue to respond to the region’s pressing challenges while laying a foundation for long-term sustainable growth. 

Key Areas of Intervention

SDF 11 will align with the Bank’s core resilience-building strategy and support initiatives that position the Region to thrive over the medium to long term. The programme is built around four key pillars of resilience: 

Environmental Resilience

At least 35% of SDF 11 resources will be dedicated to climate financing, supporting adaptation and mitigation projects, post-disaster interventions, disaster risk management, biodiversity preservation, and investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Social Resilience

Initiatives will strengthen social protection, education and training, water and sanitation, citizen security, and food security. SDF 11 will also continue to finance the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF), CDB’s flagship poverty reduction programme.

Production Resilience

Funding will support private sector development, agriculture and food systems, and resilient infrastructure to improve economic sustainability and competitiveness.

Institutional Resilience

SDF 11 will enhance implementation capacity in BMCs and promote procurement reform to enable more effective and timely project execution.

Targeted Focus

Haiti

Recognising Haiti’s unique challenges, SDF 11 will place special emphasis on targeted support to maximise development impact and foster long-term resilience. 

Cross-Cutting Priorities

SDF 11 also prioritises key enablers of sustainable development. These cross-cutting areas will be mainstreamed throughout all interventions: 

Gender Equality

Promoting inclusive development and addressing persistent gender gaps.

Good Governance

Supporting evidence-based decision-making, legislative reforms, and institutional accountability.

Regional Cooperation and Integration

Advancing collaborative approaches to trade, infrastructure, and food security systems.

Innovation and Digitalisation

Accelerating digital transformation across sectors and strengthening institutional capacity. 

A Timely Investment in the Region’s Future

With just five years remaining to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), SDF 11 comes at a pivotal moment. It reflects a bold commitment by the Caribbean and its development partners to invest in resilience, equity, and prosperity for all.