EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation: EUR 200 million for microfinance institutions and social enterprise lenders across Europe

EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation: EUR 200 million for microfinance institutions and social enterprise lenders across Europe

The European Union, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF) have launched a EUR 200 million loan fund to support lending to micro-enterprises and social enterprises under the EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI).
In line with the EU’s policy objectives, the fund will promote microfinance and social entrepreneurship in EU Member States and other participating countries, by encouraging microfinance institutions and social enterprise lenders to increase funding for micro-enterprises as well as social enterprises as a means of  supporting financial and social inclusion.
The loan fund will provide senior and subordinated loans to microfinance institutions and social enterprise lenders in order to boosting their lending capacity. It expands the range of EU level financial instruments available under the EaSI programme, which so far included guarantees and (quasi-) equity investments. (...)