The Activate program is a Canadian initiative developed to prevent high blood pressure among adults. Funded through a social impact bond, the initiative secures upfront funding from private, philanthropic investors, enabling the Public Health Agency of Canada to repay based on the programme’s results.

Created to transform social services under austerity, Portugal’s €150m Social Innovation Initiative uses results-based financing through Social Impact Bonds and Partnerships for Impact. It shifts funding from activities to outcomes, supporting areas such as youth employability and dementia caregiver networks while building a social investment market.

Created to improve immigrant employment and reduce integration costs, Finland’s Koto-SIB Social Impact Bond links job placements in sectors such as logistics, IT, and cleaning with investor returns tied to fiscal savings and tax revenues. The pilot aimed to place 2,500 immigrants in work, with success measured through reduced welfare spending and increased tax contributions.

The Children’s Welfare Social Impact Bond (Lapset-SIB) in Finland uses private investment to fund preventative child welfare services across five municipalities. Designed to reduce harm to children and lower the cost of expensive remedial care, the SIB enables municipalities to pay only for successful outcomes.

The Projeto Família Social Impact Bond in Portugal supports at-risk children by helping them remain safely in their family homes and preventing institutionalisation. Funded through a Social Impact Bond, the programme provides intensive family support and parenting guidance, with investors repaid only if agreed outcomes are achieved.

The Mental Health and Employment Partnership (MHEP) in the United Kingdom helps people with mental health conditions, learning disabilities, or autism access paid employment. Using a Social Impact Bond, the programme funds evidence-based support services that guide participants into work, linking investor returns to measurable outcomes like job starts, job sustainment, and programme engagement.

Established to reduce reoffending among young ex-offenders in the United Kingdom, The Skill Mill employs participants on environmental projects to provide work experience, training, and qualifications. Funded through Social Impact Bond payments and client revenue, the six-month programme has supported 450 young people since 2014, with a reconviction rate of 7.3% and wider social and economic benefits.

Established to strengthen child protection in New South Wales, Australia, the Newpin Programme has implemented a Social Impact Bond to fund intensive family support and help children safely return home. This bond links investor repayment to successful family reunification and reduced public care costs.