EBRD launches SME offer in Benin to support private-sector growth

• EBRD launches its SME programmes in Benin
• Bank to support local businesses with tailored advisory and financing solutions
• Initiative will strengthen cooperation with banks, business associations and the wider private-sector ecosystem

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has launched its comprehensive support package for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Benin, as it rolls out its development expertise in the country to help boost private-sector-led growth.

The launch marks an important step in the EBRD’s engagement in Benin, introducing SMEs, financial institutions, donors and other private-sector stakeholders in the country to the Bank’s range of advisory and financing solutions designed to help SMEs become more competitive, investment-ready and resilient.

To mark the launch, the EBRD convened more than 100 representatives from Benin’s private-sector ecosystem in Cotonou, including SMEs and mid-cap companies, commercial banks, business associations, chambers of commerce, investment organisations, corporates, development finance institutions and public agencies.

The event provided an opportunity for businesses and partners to learn more about the EBRD’s SME support package and explore potential areas of cooperation.

The EBRD’s advisory programmes will connect SMEs in Benin with local and international expertise to help them address key business challenges, improve their performance and pursue new opportunities for growth. This advisory support will also advance the Bank’s priorities of inclusion, digitalisation and the green transition by helping women- and youth-led businesses, supporting SMEs with adopting digital technologies and improving their competitiveness, and enabling companies to become more energy- and resource-efficient and pursue greener business models.

Companies in Benin will also now be able to benefit from the EBRD’s flagship Blue Ribbon programme, which provides tailored advisory and financing support to high-potential companies, as well as the Bank’s Star Venture programme, which supports innovative, high-growth startups.

Alongside advisory support, the EBRD will work with financial institutions and corporates to extend new financing opportunities to Beninese businesses. In addition to its core intermediated finance activities, the EBRD’s SME finance offering includes its Risk Sharing Facility – through which the Bank shares risk with partner financial institutions on individual loans to local companies – and its Supply Chain Solutions Framework, designed to expand access to working-capital finance across corporate supply chains.

Dasha Dougans, EBRD Head of Benin, said: “Supporting private-sector growth and innovation is a key priority for the EBRD in Benin, and we are delighted to bring the Bank’s established SME support to the country. By expanding access to finance and tailored business advice, we can help SMEs realise their potential to grow, innovate and create jobs. A strong and competitive SME sector is essential to building a dynamic and inclusive economy, creating new opportunities for ambitious business owners and contributing to Benin’s long-term sustainable growth.”

Benin became an EBRD shareholder in 2024 and a country of operation in July 2025. The EBRD’s priorities in Benin include helping to develop sustainable infrastructure, modernise companies and strengthen economic institutions.