Global Partnership for Education (GPE) / Education for All - Fast Track Initiative (EFA FTI) through the Catalyc Fund of FTI

The Catalytic Fund is a multi-donor trust fund managed by the World Bank on behalf of donors. Its purpose is to provide transitional financial assistance to FTI countries that have completed a Poverty Reduction Strategy and whose education sector plans have been endorsed by donors through the FTI review process, but which have difficulty mobilizing additional external funding at the country level due to a relatively limited donor presence.

As outlined in the 2004 Framework document, the FTI's goals are to accelerate Universal Primary Completion by promoting: (i) more efficient aid for primary education (ii) sustained increases in aid for primary education (iii) sound sector policies in education (iv) adequate and sustainable domestic financing for education (v) increased accountability for sector results (vi) mutual learning on what works to improve primary education outcomes and advance EFA goals. The Catalyc Fund which was established in March 2003, was orginally intended as a transitory arrangement only for 'donor orphans'. It was reviewed in 2007 and expanded to provide longer term and more substantial volumes of funding for which almost all FTI-endorsed countries could be eligible. The Education Program Development Fund (EPDF) was set up in November 2004 as a second trust fund to provide technical assistance for the development of sustainable national education sector programmes.

The Catalytic Fund has successfully mobilized funds from donors and has expanded from a small transition fund to a fund that is now a significant source of external financing for countries education sector plans. While the Catalytic Fund is only one of a range of sources of financing available to countries, it has become an important part of the aid architecture and is the single largest source of external support for basic education in several FTI countries. The FTI has made tangible an intangible contributions both at global level, and in selected countries. * It has been an important, inclusive global forum, especially for donors. * It has played an important role in keeping Universal Primary Completion and Education for All on the international agenda. * It has reinforced the focus of edcution donors on supporting country-owned plans and processes. * The Catalyc Fund has been an important additonal channel of support for basic education. * The Education Program Development Fund has provided useful technical support in strenghtening sector analysis and planning and in improving the quality of Educations Sector Plans. By the end of 2008, the education plans of 36 countries had been endorsed by the FTI and 30 of them had received allocations from the Catalyc Fund (CF). Total CF allocations stood at USD 1.4 billion, of which USD 890m was reflected in grant agreements with the recipients, and USD 445m had been disbursed. 17 donors had made contributions to the CF, but just three of them (Spain, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom) accounted for more than 70% of pledges. 56 countries had benefited from EPDF funding (about USD 29m in total), with three of the 'analytical fast track' countries (India, akistan and Bangladesh) among the largest recipients.