US/EBRD SME finance facility

The US/EBRD SME Financing Facility was established in July 2000 to promote private sector growth and economic development in South East Europe (SEE) and Early and Intermediate Transition (EIT) Countries. 

The facility was EBRD's first regional MSE finance fund, providing support for the establishment of a network of microfinance banks in South East Europe and the development of partner bank programmes in Central Asia.

The facility focuses on micro and small business lending (loans up to $10,000 and $100,000 respectively), with up to 20% of the funds available for loans of up to $500,000 to medium-sized borrowers.

The facility approaches MSE financing in three ways:

• providing access to financing for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) through local financial intermediaries;
• providing technical assistance and training to these intermediaries to strengthen their lending capacity; and
• reducing barriers to investment and private sector development by identifying legal, policy and regulatory constraints to the financing and development of private enterprises, particularly micro businesses and SMEs.

The facility covers the following countries: Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, the Kyrgyz Republic, Romania, Serbia, Tajikistan and Ukraine.

The Operation report is published on a semi-annual basis. For copies of previous reports, please contact Vickie Weaver (weaverv@ebrd.com).