EBRD lends €20 million to Kosovo’s NLB Banka Prishtina

• €15 million SME loan to boost small business finance and green investments
• €5 million Go Digital loan to drive automation, digitalisation and sustainability
• The Go Digital loan will be supported by the EU with grant incentives and technical assistance through WBIF

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is stepping up its support to Kosovo’s financial sector with a new €20 million financing package to NLB Banka Prishtina. The loan will expand access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and promote digital transformation in the country.

The package consists of two components:

• A senior loan of up to €15 million for SMEs, which is the second simple SME credit line the EBRD has provided to NLB Banka Prishtina. It will increase the availability of financing to privately owned SMEs in Kosovo, promoting entrepreneurship and competitiveness. The bank will aim to allocate at least half of the proceeds to projects that align with the EBRD’s Green Economy Transition (GET) approach, supporting investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy and other sustainable initiatives.
• A senior loan of up to €5 million under the EBRD’s Go Digital in Western Balkans, a programme supported by the European Union (EU). It will help SMEs invest in automation, digitalisation and green technologies, with at least 60 per cent of the total investments to be GET eligible. The programme also aims to promote equitable access to finance for women-led SMEs, enhancing their competitiveness and sustainability. SMEs will benefit from EU-funded grant incentives of up to 10 per cent of the loan amount as well as a comprehensive technical assistance package, both channelled through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF).

Sergiy Maslichenko, EBRD Head of Kosovo, said: “Small businesses are the backbone of Kosovo’s economy, and supporting their growth, competitiveness and digitalisation is central to our mission. This financing package with NLB Banka Prishtina will help local businesses invest in innovation, sustainability and green technologies, while also ensuring women-led enterprises have greater access to finance.”

NLB Banka Prishtina is a longstanding EBRD client and part of the NLB Group, headquartered in Slovenia, with subsidiaries across the Western Balkans. It is the second-largest commercial bank in Kosovo, with a strong focus on SME and corporate lending.

Gem Maloku, President of the Management Board of NLB Banka Prishtina, said: “This partnership with the EBRD marks another important milestone in our commitment to advancing Kosovo’s economic growth and resilience. Through this financing package, we are empowering local businesses to embrace innovation, digital transformation and sustainability. At NLB Banka Prishtina, we believe that supporting SMEs in their green and digital transition is not only vital for their competitiveness but also essential for building a more sustainable and inclusive future for our country, while making it ready for the digital economy.”

The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Kosovo, with cumulative investment of €827 million across 133 projects to date.