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მეწარმე ქალების გაძლიერება / Support to Georgian female entrepreneurs

EBRD, EU and Sweden back ProCredit Bank for Georgian female entrepreneurs

12/03/2024
  • €8 million EBRD loan to support female entrepreneurship
  • Donor support from the EU and Sweden
  • Focus on boosting lending to women-led firms

Women-led micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Georgia are to benefit from fresh funds extended by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and supported by the European Union (EU) and Sweden.

A credit line of EUR$ 8 million to ProCredit Bank, one of Georgia’s leading banks and a longstanding EBRD partner, will be available to women-led firms to finance investments to boost their growth and development.

This is the first time Procredit Bank introduces gender-focused financing and joins the EBRD’s Women in Business (WiB) programme, which with support from the EU and Sweden enables women’s access to finance and know-how through advisory services, mentoring and training.

The EU is further supporting the loan for women entrepreneurs under its European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) guarantee programme.

Women-led firms are often seen as a riskier segment in the economies where the EBRD invests due to their small size and lack of hard collateral. Under the new credit line, women entrepreneurs will benefit from risk-sharing, allowing more women entrepreneurs who would not be able to provide hard collateral to qualify for and secure finance.

The EFSD+ financial inclusion programme is designed to empower MSMEs, fostering their competitiveness and growth. By offering strong financial tools and expertise, this programme aims to encourage intermediaries to direct new lending towards those businesses that need it the most.

ProCredit Bank in Georgia is part of the international ProCredit group of development-oriented commercial banks in south-eastern Europe, South America and Germany. Frankfurt-based ProCredit Holding owns the group. ProCredit banks promote transparent and inclusive financial sectors. The bank’s business model prioritises developing SMEs, and its business strategy includes actively supporting sustainability. ProCredit Bank, which has been operating in Georgia for 25 years, upholds European banking standards. Responsible banking practices and financing provided by the bank enable SMEs to scale up, innovate and contribute to creating employment.

To date, the EBRD has invested more than €5 billion in 290 projects in the financial, corporate, infrastructure and energy sectors in Georgia, with 82 per cent of those investments in the private sector.