EBRD lends €10 million to Winner Leasing

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is boosting access to finance for Ukraine’s enterprises by extending a €10 million loan to Winner Leasing, one of the top leasing firms in Ukraine and a new partner for the EBRD in the financial sector.

Winner Leasing will use the EBRD’s loan to provide critical medium-term financing for Ukrainian micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) as they continue to navigate the ongoing challenges posed by the war on Ukraine.

The usage by MSMEs will include fleet investments such as cars and light commercial vehicles, as well as trucks, machinery and equipment.

Ukrainian MSMEs have faced significant disruptions as a result of the war and require ongoing access to stable funding. With access to traditional financing still constrained and liquidity limited on account of the conflict, demand for leasing services has grown rapidly among MSMEs, as it enables the purchase of vehicles, equipment and machinery without large upfront costs.

With this investment, the EBRD is helping Ukrainian businesses to maintain their operations and contribute to the country’s economic recovery. The Bank is also supporting a strong market player in diversifying the leasing firm’s funding base and sustaining the capacity to continue expanding its lending activities.

At least 40 per cent of the loan proceeds will fund leases for green equipment, in line with the EBRD’s Green Economy Transition approach, including electric vehicles (EVs), EV charging infrastructure and hybrid technologies. Investments in these technologies will help make Ukrainian MSMEs more energy efficient and contribute to the country’s energy security and green transition.

Founded in 2016, Winner Leasing is among Ukraine’s leading providers of financial- and operating-lease services, with a wide range of clients across key sectors. The company is part of Winner Group Ukraine, an importer of major international automotive brands and a committed investor in Ukraine’s economic development. It is an EBRD client since 2021.

The EBRD is Ukraine’s largest institutional lender, having deployed more than €8.5 billion in the real economy since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. The Bank has secured a €4 billion capital increase to continue supporting the country’s economy during wartime and in its future reconstruction efforts.