EBRD extends €7 million for MSMEs and women entrepreneurs in Kosovo
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is strengthening access to finance for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Kosovo, with a financing package of up to €7 million to KEP Trust, the country’s largest microfinance institution.
The financing comprises a senior loan of up to €5 million directed to local MSMEs, as well as a loan of up to €2 million under the Western Balkans Women in Business (WiB) programme dedicated to women-led MSMEs.
The MSME loan will be used for on-lending to privately owned small businesses across Kosovo, with a particular focus on the micro segment, helping to improve entrepreneurship and market competitiveness. At least 35 per cent of the proceeds will be allocated to projects that align with the EBRD’s Green Economy Transition (GET) approach, supporting investments that contribute to environmental sustainability.
The WiB loan aims to enhance access to finance and know-how for women-led MSMEs, promoting women’s participation in business and supporting inclusive entrepreneurship. It is the second WiB loan to KEP Trust, reinforcing the EBRD’s commitment to economic inclusion in the Western Balkans.
The WiB financing is supported by technical assistance funded by the European Union under its European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+), which will provide capacity-building support to both KEP Trust and eligible women-led enterprises. In addition, first-loss risk cover worth 10 per cent of the loan will be made available to KEP Trust under EFSD+, strengthening risk mitigation and enabling increased lending to women-led enterprises.
The EBRD’s Head of Kosovo, Sergiy Maslichenko, said: “We are pleased to extend our partnership with KEP Trust. This financing further strengthens access to finance for MSMEs, which are a vital part of Kosovo’s economy. By supporting women-led businesses and green investments, we are helping entrepreneurial firms to grow, create jobs and contribute to a more inclusive and more sustainable economy.”
KEP Trust’s CEO, Adrian Alo, said: “This new EBRD support reinforces our ability to serve micro and small businesses across Kosovo. The additional resources will help us expand financing for entrepreneurs, support women-led enterprises and increase investments that contribute to greener and more resilient business practices.”
KEP Trust, founded in 1999, plays an important role in expanding access to finance for underserved segments of the economy, including micro enterprises and women entrepreneurs.
The EBRD has invested €909 million in Kosovo across 150 projects to date, with the majority of financing supporting the private sector. The Bank’s priorities in the country include strengthening private-sector competitiveness, advancing the green economy transition and supporting inclusive growth.
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EBRD, EU and Fawry support young entrepreneurs in Egypt
27.04.2026.16:58
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting youth-led micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Egypt by providing a loan of up to EGP 250 million (€4.4 million) to Fawry MSME Finance, one of the country’s largest microfinance institutions.
The EBRD Youth in Business credit line will be channelled to local private MSMEs that are led or majority owned by entrepreneurs under the age of 35, and will focus on rural areas. First-loss risk cover of up to 10 per cent will complement the credit line, while the young sub-borrowers will benefit from investment grants in the form of cash incentives, funded by the European Union (EU), of up to 10 per cent of the loan amount.
A technical cooperation package funded by the EBRD will assist Fawry MSME Finance with programme implementation, capacity-building, and training in gender-responsive lending, as well as tailored advisory support to advance the company’s digital transformation.
In addition, the EBRD Advice for Small Businesses programme, which is funded by the EBRD and the Small Business Impact Fund, will provide non-financial support to the youth-led MSMEs.
Commenting on the project, Mark Davis, EBRD Managing Director for the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean region, said: “This is our first partnership with Fawry, a digital leader in Egypt, and marks the start of a new cooperation to support local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises led or owned by young entrepreneurs, an essential step in helping the Egyptian economy to absorb the growing number of financially underserved young people entering the labour market and to expand their economic opportunities.”
Fawry’s CEO and founder Ashraf Sabry said: “We are proud to launch this collaboration with the EBRD through this financing agreement, which will allow us to broaden our range of financial services for young Egyptian micro-borrowers. We extend our gratitude to the EBRD and the European Union for their support and meaningful contribution.”
The EBRD’s Youth in Business programme, supported by the EU, enables young entrepreneurs to access vital financing and technical assistance to grow their small businesses through dedicated credit lines on-lent by banks and microfinance institutions. The credit lines are complemented by technical assistance, helping partner banks to strengthen their lending capacity. The blended financial support from the EU enables the intended borrowers to access finance at more affordable rates.
Fawry MSME Finance is a pioneering digital-finance microlender established in 2018 by Fawry, Egypt’s leading fully integrated fintech platform founded in 2008 and listed on the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) since 2019.
Egypt is a founding member of the EBRD, which has invested more than €14.6 billion in the country across 225 projects since it began operating there in 2012.
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