The UN’s International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Central Bank of Iraq have partnered with the Iraqi Company for Bank Guarantees and three commercial banks over the past two years to provide a range of services to forcibly displaced people, returning refugees and host communities in the Dohuk and Ninewa regions of Iraq. These services include
Category: SMEs
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Verdant Capital Facilitates $2.5m in Lending for Enable Capital to Support SMEs Building Internet Infrastructure in South Africa
The African firm Verdant Capital recently opened a revolving credit facility of USD 2.5 million for South Africa’s Enable Capital, which funds small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that build fiber telecommunications infrastructure, especially outside of wealthy areas.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: L-IFT Studying Fairness of Presumptive Taxation in Ethiopia
Low-income Financial Transformation (L-IFT), a firm with teams in 13 countries in Africa and Asia, recently reported on a study it is performing with data being collected over one year from 140 small businesses in Ethiopia. The study addresses the way the Ethiopian government taxes enterprises that bring in less than ETB 500,000 (USD 8,900) per year. Rather than asking the businesses to submit financial data, the Ministry of Finance estimates their income based on external characteristics. The goal of the study is to investigate “the accuracy of
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Climate Funding for Smallholder Farmers Drops from $10b to $5.5b in 2 Years
For details on this news item, please refer to:
Report: 44% Drop in Climate Finance to Small-scale Agrifood Systems
https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/press-release/44-drop-in-climate-finance-to-small-scale-agrifood-systems-reveals-need-for-action/
CLIC homepage
https://climateshotinvestor.org/
CPI homepage
https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: IDB Invest Lending $30m to Atlantic Bank in Support of MSMEs in Belize, with a Focus on Women-owned Firms
IDB Invest, a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group, recently agreed to issue Atlantic Bank Limited of Belize senior loan funds of up to USD 30 million with the aim of fostering the expansion of Atlantic Bank’s financing for micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). The funding package is divided
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: EBRD Loans $21m to BMCI of Morocco as Part of Women in Business (WiB) Program
The multilateral European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) recently agreed to loan up to MAD 220 million (USD 21.5 million) to Banque Marocaine pour le Commerce et l’Industrie (BMCI) in support of the Women in Business (WiB) program, through which EBRD serves women-led micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Whole Planet Foundation Offering Interest-free Wholesale Funding for Microfinance in Latin America, Caribbean
As a part of its goal to reach 300,000 “microentrepreneurs, smallholder farmers, and [members of] vulnerable populations,” the US-based Whole Planet Foundation is accepting applications for loans and grants from “socially-focused microfinance institutions, social enterprises, nonprofit organizations and cooperatives” that provide microloans and related services.
SPECIAL REPORT: Small Business Diaries Benefit Entrepreneurs, Microfinance Institutions #EMW2023
The Financial Access Initiative (FAI) at New York University recently completed a study spanning seven countries, collecting data from firms with up to 20 paid employees. Researchers visited hundreds of these companies every few weeks for one year to support them in completing diaries of their financial lives. Among the takeaways are that the owners of the firms want to maintain stability and grow at a moderate pace and that they are most in need of
SPECIAL REPORT: The Business Case for Education Finance #EMW2023
Many families in low- and middle-income countries send their kids to low-cost private schools because the government is not meeting the need. However, many of these schools are not registered as businesses and don’t keep good records, so it is hard for them to borrow from banks to improve their facilities. Meanwhile, about one in five school-aged children – 260 million worldwide – are not in school.
Varthana is a lender in India that specializes helping schools expand. Its loans are often in the range of USD 20,000 to USD 100,000. The firm has developed a track record and so now is able to
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: OPEC Fund Lending $22m to Raiffeisen Bank for SMEs in Albania
As its first loan to a financial institution in Albania, the Austria-based OPEC Fund for International Development recently channeled EUR 20 million (USD 21.7 million) to the Albanian unit of Raiffeisen Bank to provide loans to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the country. The scheme especially targets
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Michael Apel Named CEO of DAI’s MicroVest Asset Management
The US-based impact investing firm MicroVest recently selected Michael Apel as its new CEO and Chief Investment Officer. In taking on these roles, Mr Apel will be in charge of the company’s daily operations, including entering into new markets to expand the company’s deployment of private capital to boost micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Mr Apel has 25 years of experience at IDB Invest,
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Baobab+, TradeLenda Partner on Solar Energy Solutions for SMEs in Nigeria
Baobab+, a French energy and technology company active in six African countries, recently partnered with TradeLenda, a Nigerian financial services company serving small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to expand lending to SMEs to buy solar generators, freezers and refrigerators. SMEs will be able to
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: ABI to Leverage $69m from EIB to Boost SME, Mid-cap Financing in West Africa – Focusing on Women, Youth
Atlantic Business International (ABI), a holding company owned by the Morocco-based Banque Centrale Populaire (BCP) Group, recently entered an agreement with the EU’s European Investment Bank (EIB) whereby EIB will fund half of EUR 130 million (USD 138 million) in funding to be distributed via ABI’s Banque Atlantique institutions in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal. The funds are to be directed to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-caps with the goal of
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Joliba Capital Raises $58m in Equity from FMO, IFC, Proparco to Support SMEs, Mid-caps in Central, West Africa
Joliba Capital of Côte d’Ivoire recently raised EUR 55 million (USD 57.8 million) for its newly launched Joliba Capital Fund. The participants in this first close of the fund are the Dutch development bank Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO); the International Finance Corporation (IFC),
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Sama Money Acquires Première Agence de MicroFinance, Entering Microcredit Market in Mali
Sama Money, a provider of mobile money services in Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire and Mali, recently purchased the Malian microfinance institution Première Agence de MicroFinance (PAMF), after receiving approval from the Central Bank of West African States to operate as an Electronic Money Establishment (EME).
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Bababos of Indonesia to Expand Digital Platform for Manufacturing SMEs with $3m in Seed Funding
Bababos, an Indonesian raw material procurement startup, recently raised USD 3 million from Singapore-based East Ventures – the lead investor in the funding round – plus Indonesia-based Patamar Capital and US-based Accion Venture Lab. Bababos helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: AfDB, Ingenosya Create Mada Business Linkage Online Portal to Boost SME Success in Madagascar
The multilateral African Development Bank (AfDB) recently introduced an online service called Mada Business Linkage to facilitate partnerships among companies in Madagascar, including to match firms with suppliers and subcontractors. The Madagascar-based technology company Ingenosya built the platform, which businesses can use for no
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF23); October 11-12, 2023; Amsterdam, the Netherlands
The goal of this event is to champion the use of social enterprise as a catalyst for positive change worldwide. The topics to be discussed include: (1) The Role of Corporates in Social Enterprise Partnerships; and (2) Migration: Entrepreneurial Solutions for Better Lives and Livelihoods.