Paris — June 3, 2026 — The Foundation for the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) has been formally launched, backed by the Jacobs Foundation, to accelerate investment in education across lower-income countries.
The launch event brought together senior philanthropy leaders, private sector entrepreneurs, government ministers, and GPE representatives. Among the high-level attendees were Simon Sommer, Co-CEO of the Jacobs Foundation and Board Member of the Foundation for GPE, alongside partners including the Minister of Education for Nigeria, Hon. Tunji Alausa, the International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd), the Jannik Sinner Foundation, UBS Optimus Foundation, and Cisco Networking Academy.
The Foundation is designed to mobilize diverse actors from public, private, multilateral, and philanthropic sectors, aligning new investments with national education priorities. By embedding evidence, data, and technical collaboration into financing mechanisms, the initiative aims to ensure that resources directly transform classroom realities and benefit children most in need.
Simon Sommer emphasized the importance of partnership: “Donors must ensure they work with those who have responsibility, data, and evidence to ensure funding is channeled to communities most in need and where it can have the most impact.”
The launch coincides with GPE’s
