In 2024, Puma provided seven loans totalling £145m that are targeting ILF certification.

The loans cover a range of sectors including care homes, PBSA and life sciences and are located across the UK from North Yorkshire to Devon.

Developers can meet ILF certification with the inclusion of sustainability measure such as integrating energy-efficient systems, on-site renewable energy, improved insulation, water conservation measures, and using low-carbon materials.

Those that qualify under the ILF can benefit from up to a 1% reduction in their cost of finance, with the benefit paid at the conclusion of the project to ensure the framework delivers tangible impact.

Developments can qualify for an impact loan if they meet either the sustainability criteria or the social impact criteria. The former is designed to foster adoption of sustainable methods of construction, and thoughtful design to enable efficient long-term building usage.

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The social impact criteria encourages investment into areas of higher deprivation or to support the provision of increased affordable housing.

Puma partners with independent third parties JLL and Sintali to ensure objective application of the framework.

JLL is supporting with the Next Generation Project initiative, used to underpin qualification for residential developments under the ILF, and Sintali is a specialist in EDGE certification, which is applied to all other asset classes.

EDGE is a free-to-access open-source global certification standard developed by the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank.

Sarah Milne, head of impact at Puma Property Finance (pictured above), commented: "We are delighted with the progress of our Impact Lending Framework in its first year.

“The £145m in development loans demonstrates the commitment of developers to embrace both sustainability and social impact measures.

“By incentivising these forward-thinking initiatives, we are not only fostering innovative construction practices but also contributing to the creation of more inclusive and sustainable communities across the UK."