Key facts
- Implementing Partner:
EDFI Management Company (EDFI MC)
- Guarantee volume:
Up to €335 million
- Global Gateway areas of partnership:
Multisectoral
- Sectors:
Private Sector Development
- Geographical focus:
Sub-Saharan Africa and Eastern Neighbourhood
- Type of support provided:
Financing, Technical assistance
- Types of investments:
Loans
- Investment period:
Open to investments until June 2027
- Technical assistance:
up to € 11 million
Description
The MSME Platform, and is successor the MSME Platform Plus, provide finance and support to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) via local finance institutions with a particular focus on businesses run by women, young people and migrants, active in Least Developed Countries, low income countries, and countries in a fragile or vulnerable situation. The guarantees aim to support the growth of local enterprises by addressing bottlenecks to investments and by encouraging the development of skills and entrepreneurship.
The European Commission supports the initiative providing two guarantee agreements under EFSD+.
EDFI MSME Platform (€80 million), signed in July 2022, was the first joint guarantee facility under EFSD+. It is designed to enhance the lending capacity of EDFIs to local financial intermediaries lending to MSMEs and promote sustainable investments in the EU partner countries.
MSME Platform Plus (€255 million) is a top-up of the MSME Platform to further enhance the lending capacity of EDFIs to local financial intermediaries lending to MSMEs. The MSME Platform Plus includes a €40 million component aimed specifically at agricultural MSMEs in rural areas.
Both guarantees will improve access to finance from local financial intermediaries. They are designed not only to strengthen the financial capacity of MSMEs, but also to ensure the development of a sustainable, inclusive and dynamic business ecosystem.
How can businesses and investors get involved?
If you are an investor looking to invest in MSMEs in fragile states or least-developed countries for example, we recommend getting in touch with EDFI MC.
Contact: msme [dot] guarantee
edfimc [dot] eu (msme[dot]guarantee[at]edfimc[dot]eu)
About EDFI MC
EDFI Management Company (EDFI MC) is a multilaterally owned impact asset manager which delivers innovative development finance solutions that enable European DFIs, development banks and private sector investors to increase the scale and impact of their work. The company focuses on business models, technologies and geographies where other investors have not been able to operate at the desired scale given their resources and investment criteria.