The first DFI Mission, organised in April 2023, served as a catalyst in uniting financial institutions and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) to partner around SME financing, promoting sustainable finance and the uptake of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) principles. The mission successfully brought together eight DFIs and impact investors, facilitating debt investments of approximately $156 million in additional four Class A banks and generating a pipeline of an additional $150 million of potential investments during the year. Engagements with the regulators during the mission led to the signing of an MoU between the Government of Nepal (GoN) and six DFIs, which further paved the way for additional reforms by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) including an amendment to the Foreign Investment and Loan Management Bylaws recognising DFIs as a category of investors and a reduction in the lock-in period by the Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON).