World Bank [to 28 February 2015]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
[We limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

World Bank Group and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Forge Partnership to Improve Delivery of Services to People in Poverty
THIMPHU, BHUTAN, February 27, 2015—The World Bank Group (WBG) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Development Fund (SDF) announced that they have forged a multi-year partnership to design and implement SDF’s Social Enterprise Development Program (SEDP) in eight SAARC countries. The partnership aims to improve the quality and delivery of basic services to the poorest and underserved populations across South Asia by combining finance, global knowledge, and capacity development support for 100 social enterprises that will receive grants of USD 100,000 to 250,000 per enterprise. Thereafter, SDF will provide finance to these enterprises to enable them to scale their impact….
Date: February 27, 2015

World Bank Group Forum Convenes Partners to Explore Implications of Latest Research on Microcredit
“Digital channels reduce the cost of delivering financial services to remote areas, and make it possible for financial service providers to offer a variety of services adapted to customers’ needs,” said Camille Busette, Lead Financial Sector Specialist at CGAP. “Taking a one-size-fits-all approach to microfinance and financial inclusion is no longer an option. Product design, technology, and delivery channels can all be optimized to achieve impact for the consumer and efficiency for providers. ”The research presented at the event is in an important contribution to the field of financial inclusion, and will help determine the path forward. “Evidence from these studies helps us to take stock of what microcredit can do, as well as its limitations as a development tool,” said economist Esther Duflo of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a co-founder and co-director of J-PAL, and co-author of the India and Morocco studies.
Date: February 27, 2015