In Colombia, four social impact bonds have been implemented. They are focused on generating formal employment for vulnerable populations using public- private partnerships and have in turn facilitated the strengthening of the impact investment ecosystem. In this case study, the catalytic nature of three of these bonds, in which Inversor acted as manager, intermediary and investor is analyzed. Inversor identified and contacted other entities aligned with its mission to join the project, and was responsible for managing, articulating, monitoring and tracking the bonds, selecting the entities to perform the operations and ensuring compliance with the agreed results.

The results of the program were positive, with 8,672 people having strengthened job-seeking skills, 3,853 jobs generated, and 2,671 jobs retained for at least 3 months. In addition, ar inclusive approach was achieved which facilitated equal opportunity for employment access.

The bonds show the commitment of public and private actors in generating structural changes by addressing the unemployment problem in Colombia. They also show their willingness to seek innovative solutions and to take risks by investing in a model which had never been implemented previously, In this process, collaboration and continuous learning are two key pillars, and communication between the stakeholders and follow-up at each stage are essential.