Donors and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have agreed to a replenishment of US$5 billion for ADB’s Asian Development Fund (ADF) 14 and Technical Assistance Special Fund (TASF) 8, says press release issued by ADB. The commitment was made yesterday during the ADB’s 57th Annual Meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The ADF is ADB’s largest source of grants for operations in its poorest and most vulnerable developing member countries and is replenished every four years. ADF 14 – marking the 13th replenishment since the fund’s establishment – will support grant operations during 2025–2028. The ADF 14 replenishment is about 22% higher than the US$4.1 billion available in ADF 13, and will provide eligible ADB members with the largest-ever volume of ADF grants.
TASF 8 will provide grants that help prepare projects, build capacity, and provide technical or policy advice.
ADF 14 prioritizes dedicated assistance to small island developing states that are particularly vulnerable—especially to climate change—and to countries in fragile and conflict- affected situations.
ADF 14 will continue to play a critical role in supporting climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. It will enable expanded assistance for regional cooperation and regional public goods, and for transformative gender action. It will also provide agile assistance in the event of emergencies through its crisis response window.
More than US$2.5 billion, or 51%, of the replenishment will be funded by contributions from donors including two new countries: Armenia and Georgia. ADB will significantly increase its net income transfers to ADF, from just under US$1.2 billion in ADF 13 to almost $1.6 billion in ADF 14, an increase of 35%. The remaining $0.9 billion will comprise transfers from earlier ADF cycles and income from liquidity investments. In parallel, ADB intends to provide US$16.7 billion in concessional loans, which have very low interest rates over long repayment periods, during the ADF 14 period. Overall, ADB will be able to provide more than US$8 in grants and concessional loans for every US$1 in donor contributions.
Established in 1966, the Asian Development Bank is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.
The following donors announced contributions to ADF 14: Armenia; Australia; Austria; Canada; Denmark; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Hong Kong, China; India; Indonesia; Ireland; Italy; Japan; Luxembourg; Malaysia; Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; People’s Republic of China; Philippines; Portugal; Republic of Korea; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Taipei, China; Türkiye; United Kingdom; and United States.
The following developing member countries are the primary recipients of grants from ADF 14: Federated States of Micronesia; Kiribati; Kyrgyz Republic; Maldives; Marshall Islands; Nauru; Samoa; Solomon Islands; Tajikistan; Tonga; Tuvalu; and Vanuatu. Grants will also be available to support the people of Afghanistan and Myanmar, and for transformative projects in Bangladesh; Bhutan; Cambodia; Cook Islands; Fiji; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Mongolia; Nepal; Niue; Pakistan; Palau; Papua New Guinea; Sri Lanka; Timor-Leste; and Uzbekistan.
