RaiseUK
Case Study · 02 of 6
Blended FinanceWomen's EmpowermentFinancial InclusionCSRIndiaIndian Financial Institution · CSR Capital
£350K
First-of-Its-Kind Blended Finance Facility — Unlocking Formal Credit for Rural Women Entrepreneurs
1
Lead Funder · Engaged Throughout
<45
Days to Committee Approval
2,000
Women Entrepreneurs
£350K
Facility Closed
The Challenge
Your deal had funder commitment in principle — but poor collateral quality was eroding their confidence. The funding committee was ready to walk away.

RaiseUK saved it by producing institutional-grade documentation — financial models, pitch decks, programme design, legal and compliance structures — that met the standards of India's largest wealth manager's investment committee and secured approval within 45 days.

Client Type
Social Enterprise · India
Funder Type
India's Largest Wealth Manager · CSR Capital
Structure
Grant Capital + Credit Guarantee · Blended Finance
Engagement Type
Done-For-You Fundraising Engine

The deal was, in theory, already done. A social enterprise and India's largest wealth management institution had aligned on a compelling joint vision: a first-of-its-kind blended finance facility to extend formal credit to rural women entrepreneurs who had never accessed institutional lending. Both sides were committed in principle. The funder had signalled intent.

Then the deal nearly died.

The wealth manager's funding committee — accustomed to the rigour of institutional investment due diligence — needed documentation that could survive board scrutiny. What they received fell short. Collaterals arrived late, were incomplete, and lacked the financial precision and strategic clarity the committee required. The funder's confidence in the client's ability to execute began to erode. The deal was on the verge of collapse — not because the vision had failed, but because the paper couldn't support it.

What was needed was not a new funder search. The funder was already there. What was needed was someone who understood exactly how investment committees of institutional funders think — and could produce documentation to that standard: financial models with projections, a programme design framework built around the client's technology and operating model, legal and compliance structures developed with auditors and law firms, and a complete collateral package ready for committee approval within a tight deadline.

RaiseUK's team carries direct experience from investment committees of DFIs, global philanthropic foundations, and institutional impact investors. We know what "committee-ready" actually means — and what it takes to get there.

01 — Facility Design & Documentation

Designed a first-of-its-kind blended finance capacity framework on gender and livelihoods — customised to the client's technology and operating model and the funder's investment thesis. Produced the full documentation package required for committee approval: detailed financial models and projections, executive summaries, pitch decks, programme proposals, Gantt charts, concept notes, tech and partner evaluations, and compliance and regulatory notes developed in collaboration with auditors and law firms.

02 — Funder Engagement & Collateral Support

Engaged and managed the relationship with India's largest wealth manager throughout the full approval process — from initial alignment through funding committee review. Developed targeted committee-ready collateral packages to meet each stage of the funder's internal governance requirements, within strict deadlines.

03 — Confidence Building & Negotiation

Rebuilt the funder's confidence in the client's execution capability — through consistent, high-quality communication, rapid turnaround of documentation requests, and transparent progress reporting. Supported the client through term sheet negotiations and due diligence responses as required.

04 — Transaction Support

Supported the client through term sheet negotiation, due diligence preparation, and the structuring of the guarantee mechanism — ensuring both funders had the documentation required to approve within their respective governance processes.

1
Lead Funder Secured
India's largest wealth manager — engaged and managed throughout
<45
Days to Approval
From RaiseUK engagement to funding committee sign-off
2,000
Women Entrepreneurs
Now accessing formal institutional credit for the first time

£350K blended finance facility closed — a first-of-its-kind CSR-backed credit guarantee structure, secured from India's largest wealth management institution within 45 days of RaiseUK's engagement.

The facility creates a repeatable formal credit pathway for rural women entrepreneurs who had never accessed institutional lending. One lead funder was engaged throughout — and the deal that was close to collapsing was saved through the quality of the documentation and the confidence it restored in the client's ability to deliver.

"The deal was at risk. They came in, understood exactly what the committee needed, produced the documentation, and closed it within weeks."
Chief Executive Officer · Rural Credit Initiative · India + UK

This engagement demonstrates a capability that most fundraising support organisations don't offer: the ability to step in when a deal is dying and save it through the quality of the documentation. RaiseUK operated at the intersection of institutional investment standards, capital structure design, and transaction execution. If your organisation has a funder who is losing confidence — or a deal that is at risk of collapse because the collateral isn't meeting institutional standards — this is the engagement model.

The blended finance facility model has since been cited by the client as the foundation for a broader programme of financial inclusion across three Indian states.

← All case studies