Thimpu-based SAARC Development Fund (SDF) will soon be launching a social enterprise development programme (SEDP) to fund 80 entities annually across the 8-member states including India.
The programme will be implemented in all SAARC member states with objective of identifying and building social enterprises by using mix of grants and concessional returnable capital.
SDF was established by heads of all eight SAARC member states during 16th SAARC summit at Thimphu, Bhutan in April 2010.
Its Governing Council comprises finance ministers of these eight countries. SDF’s Secretariat is located at Thimphu, capital of Bhutan
It is successor of South Asian Development Fund (SADF), which was launched in 1996 by merging two existing facilities called
SAARC Fund for Regional Projects (SFRP) and
SAARC Regional Fund.
SDF was created as umbrella financial mechanism for all SAARC developmental projects and programmes.