CAF (Development Bank of Latin America)

CAF (Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean) is a regional multilateral development bank owned by 23 member countries and headquartered in Caracas, Venezuela, that provides financing for sustainable infrastructure, green investment, and private-sector development across Latin America and the Caribbean, with a record $18.7 billion approved in 2025.

What is CAF?

CAF is one of the largest sources of development finance in the LAC region, with total assets of $56.5 billion and annual approvals that for some borrowing countries exceed even those of the idb-inter-american-development-bank. The bank's 23 member countries include most Latin American and Caribbean nations, plus Spain and Portugal as extra-regional members. CAF finances transport, energy, water, housing, digital infrastructure, social services, and private-sector projects, with a strong climate mandate: 44 percent of 2025 approvals targeted green finance.

Unlike the IDB or World Bank, CAF does not maintain a dedicated searchable public procurement portal. Procurement for CAF-financed projects is managed through borrower country systems rather than a centralised CAF portal, making it significantly less transparent and harder to monitor systematically. Third-party aggregators such as ProTenders and DgMarket capture some CAF-related tenders, but coverage is incomplete. Suppliers targeting CAF opportunities rely more on direct country-office relationships and monitoring national procurement portals in borrowing countries than on a centralised tender feed. The ndb-new-development-bank presents a similar dynamic for suppliers used to monitoring less-transparent MDB pipelines.

Why CAF matters for bidders

CAF's large financing volume combined with its lower procurement transparency creates an asymmetric opportunity. Suppliers who invest in monitoring national portals of key CAF borrowers and in relationship-building with country-level implementing agencies can access a pipeline that many internationally oriented firms miss entirely because they focus only on portals with public feeds. The strong green finance mandate (44 percent of 2025 approvals) makes CAF particularly relevant for suppliers in renewable energy, sustainable transport, water management, and environmental services.

FAQ

Does CAF have a public tender portal?

CAF does not maintain a dedicated searchable public procurement portal. Tenders for CAF-financed projects are managed through borrower country systems and may appear on national portals or through third-party aggregators.

How large is CAF's financing programme?

CAF approved a record $18.7 billion in 2025, with total assets of $56.5 billion, making it one of the largest development finance institutions focused on Latin America and the Caribbean.

What share of CAF financing targets green projects?

Approximately 44 percent of CAF's 2025 approvals were directed to green and climate-related investments, reflecting the bank's strong sustainability mandate.