What Cerise+SPTF does

Cerise+SPTF is a joint initiative between Cerise (a French non-profit founded in 1998 and headquartered in Bordeaux), the Social Performance Task Force (SPTF, founded in 2005 and headquartered in Bethesda, US), and SPTF | Europe (Luxembourg). The initiative develops and disseminates frameworks, audit tools, and capacity-building services used by inclusive finance providers to manage social and environmental performance. Its core offerings include the Universal Standards for Social and Environmental Performance Management (3rd edition, since 2012), the SPI Audit Tool and SPI Online Platform (used in over 4,000 completed audits), the Client Protection Pathway, the Alinus Audit Tool, and a portfolio of thematic tools (RAI Tool, Agri CP Tool). It also convenes working groups covering social performance (SIWG), financial inclusion equity (FIEC), customer empowerment, climate risk, and AML.

The underlying technology footprint is modest: the SPI Online Platform is built on the Atlas data platform, with CRM on Salesforce, marketing on Mailchimp, and survey infrastructure supporting the annual Member Survey. The Member Center, Job Board, and Resource Library are standard web CMS components. No proprietary AI/ML layer is evident in the disclosed stack; data products center on structured audit data and benchmarking outputs.

The business model is hybrid. Commercial revenue comes from tiered annual membership dues — from $330 for individuals and supporting members up to $10,000 for investor members — applied across roughly 2,850 member organizations and 8,300+ individual members in 132 countries. Programmatic revenue is driven by multi-year grants and technical-assistance contracts from institutional donors including AFD, EIB Global, the Luxembourg Government, the Asian Development Bank, Grameen Credit Agricole Foundation, and SSNUP, channeled through programs such as the Responsible Inclusive Finance Facilities (RIFFs) for Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Caucasus/Central Asia, and the SOM Project (Phase Two: 2020–2026). At 1–10 employees across three offices, the organization operates lean, relying heavily on a distributed consultant and partner network for delivery.

Name

Cerise+SPTF

Legal name

Cerise+SPTF (joint venture of SPTF | US, SPTF | Europe, and Cerise)

Website

https://cerise-sptf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cerise+SPTF is a joint initiative of Cerise (France) and SPTF (US) that develops social and environmental performance standards, audit tools, and capacity-building services for the inclusive finance sector, serving 2,850 member organizations across 132 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Inclusive Finance Standards and Social Performance Management

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation (BPADANAI), Compliance Technology, GRC Platforms & Controls Automation Advisory (BPAHAFAO), Standards, Certification & Compliance (RECs/GOs, sustainability reporting) (EUAMANAJ)

Keywords

• Social performance management
• Inclusive finance standards
• Client protection pathway
• Responsible microfinance tools
• Environmental performance management

Headquarters

HQ city

Bordeaux

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees based on organization type and size. Fee tiers range from $330 to $10,000 USD annually depending on organization type (financial institution, investor, network, auditor, etc.) and size metrics.
2. Contributing Memberships: Pay-to-participate memberships allowing organizations to fund specific projects or activities within Cerise+SPTF.
3. Donor/Foundation Funding: Core funding from major donors including AFD (French Development Agency), EIB Global, Luxembourg government (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Finance), and other institutional donors.
4. Technical Assistance Funding: Co-financing and technical assistance through Responsible Inclusive Finance Facilities (RIFFs) for Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central America/Caribbean, funded by donor support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cerise+SPTF develops and disseminates the Universal Standards for Social and Environmental Performance Management and supporting tools (SPI Online social audit platform, Client Protection Pathway, ALINUS, RAI Tool, Agri CP Tool) to help financial service providers and impact investors in inclusive finance measure, audit, and improve their social and environmental performance. It complements these standards with regional technical assistance facilities (RIFFs), expert-led working groups, and multilingual training and webinars for a global membership of 8,300+ professionals across 132 countries.

Product overview

Cerise+SPTF is a joint initiative of two leading global organizations (SPTF and Cerise) dedicated to social and environmental performance management in inclusive finance. The company's portfolio centers on the Universal Standards for Social and Environmental Performance Management as its signature product, supplemented by the Client Protection Pathway for client protection standards, and the SPI/SPI Online tool for social audits and benchmarking. The offering also includes the Responsible Inclusive Finance Facilities (RIFFs) for regional technical assistance, specialized tools like the RAI Tool and Agri CP Tool for agricultural sector management, and various working groups including the Financial Inclusion Equity Council (FIEC). The complete suite encompasses standards, audits, training, technical assistance financing, working groups, webinars, and e-learning resources—all designed to help financial service providers measure and improve their social and environmental performance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Universal Standards for Social and Environmental Performance Management The signature product of Cerise+SPTF, first published in 2012 and now in its third edition. Defines best practices for social and environmental performance management in inclusive finance, reflecting the collective real-world wisdom of financial service providers from around the world. Implemented by providers representing approximately $40 billion and 62 million borrowers across 99 countries.
• Client Protection Pathway A three-step roadmap with practical resources and recognition for hitting milestones, focused on advancing client protection standards, responsible pricing, and market-level collaboration among financial service providers.
• SPI (Social Audit Tool) / SPI Online Social audit tool that lets financial institutions assess their practices against the Universal Standards. Has been used to generate more than 4,000 social audits to date and has generated one of the most robust bodies of data about social and environmental performance management. Available in English, French, and Spanish.
• Responsible Inclusive Finance Facilities (RIFFs) Regional co-financing and technical assistance facilities delivering hands-on training and funding for social performance management projects. Operating in Sub-Saharan Africa (RIFF-SSA), Southeast Asia (RIFF-SEA), and Central America/Caribbean (RIFF-CAC).
• ALINUS Audit Tool Due diligence tool used by investors to assess social and environmental performance of financial service providers during investment processes.
• RAI Tool (Responsible Agricultural Investment) Management tool for responsible agricultural investment developed with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), integrating responsible business conduct and social and environmental performance management standards for the agricultural sector.
• Agri CP Tool (Agricultural Client Protection) Client protection assessment tool specific to the agricultural sector developed with IDH Farmfit Fund, evaluating client protection standards for agribusiness operations.
• Working Groups Facilitated working groups organized around impact investing, customer empowerment, digital financial services, green microfinance, sustainable outcomes management, and responsible agriculture and food, including the Social Investors Working Group (SIWG), Financial Inclusion Equity Council (FIEC), Customer Empowerment, SOM, and Responsible Agriculture and Food.
• Financial Inclusion Equity Council (FIEC) Membership organization for equity investors in inclusive finance, bringing together 17 active member organizations managing $4.7 billion in assets across 64 countries.
• Joint Statement on Client Protection Declaration signed by investors and organizations committing to encourage client protection standards among their investees and report on actions taken during the investment process.
• Webinars and Training Sessions Frequent webinars and training sessions on responsible inclusive finance topics, held in English, French, or Spanish and free of charge. E-learning courses available in multiple languages.
• Learning Series Interview-based series with practitioners on successfully managing social and environmental performance, providing practical guidance on implementing Universal Standards practices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 62 million borrowers reached by providers implementing Universal Standards
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic collaboration partner for the Sustainable Outcomes Management Project and co-development of resources and guidelines.
• Council on Smallholder Agricultural Finance (CSAF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Responsible Agriculture and Food (RAF) Project, hosting webinars and collaborating on tools for agricultural sector.
• IDH Farmfit FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in developing the Agri CP Tool for client protection standards in the agricultural sector.
• IISD (International Institute for Sustainable Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in developing the RAI Tool (Responsible Agricultural Investment) for responsible business conduct in agriculture.
• Incofin Investment ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in RAF Project, AGTAF technical assistance facility, and various working groups. Contributes expertise in agricultural finance and social performance.
• ADA (Appui au Développement Autonome)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates on steering committees for Responsible Inclusive Finance Facilities and RAF Project.
• Global PartnershipscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Responsible Agriculture and Food Project contributing to tools and resources for agricultural sector.
• SSNUP (Smallholder Safety Net Upscaling Programme)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Responsible Agriculture and Food Project.
• Frankfurt School Impact FinancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeads the Social Investors Working Group (SIWG) along with Grameen Credit Agricole Foundation.
• Grameen Credit Agricole FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-leads the Social Investors Working Group and contributes to SFDR subgroup and client protection initiatives.
• Abler NordiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Theory of Change and Outcomes Management recommendations report, sharing lessons learned on measuring outcomes.
• NorfundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Theory of Change and Outcomes Management recommendations report for investors.
• Impact Fund DenmarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Theory of Change and Outcomes Management recommendations report for investors.
• AlterfinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUsing SenseMaker methodology with Voices That Count for customer outcomes measurement experience sharing.
• Voices That CountminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssisted Alterfin with SenseMaker mixed methodology for customer outcomes data collection.
• Grameen FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Financial Abuse Research Paper testing survey instrument to measure financial abuse prevalence.
• M-CRIL LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical support partner in AGTAF multi-country technical assistance program and customer empowerment testing.
• e-MFP Green Microfinance Action GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPTF participates in e-MFP action group on inclusive and climate-smart green finance, contributing to Dimension 7 of Universal Standards.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SocialPerformanceTaskForce
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cerise-association
• Xx.com/CeriseSptf

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cerise+SPTF