This Survey Report presents a detailed snapshot of the microfinance sector up until the very beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, with information gathered in 2018-2019. However, based on additional data collected during the first semester of 2020, we were also able to produce a chapter on the preliminary impact of the pandemic on European MFIs. While the effects of the current crisis remain ...

This paper summarizes the data collected by the Microfinance Centre (MFC) through a survey of microfinance institutions in Europe to assess the impact of COVID-19 crisis on the situation of microfinance institutions and their clients. The results show that while the pandemic touched all countries in the EU, the severity of its impact was markedly different, from very strong in ...

Our partners from European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP) are organizing a survey for microfinance sector in order to assess its challenges and priorities. Deadline to fill in the survey : 23 June 2020, Tuesday It is the third e-MFP Compass survey – a special edition version of the survey specifically looking at the challenges Covid-19 is posing to sector stakeholders, and ...

  We want to help you solve your circular economy challenges! Business4Change is a 2-day Hackathon and initiative of the European Commission to be held on 16-17 November in Brussels, Belgium. The focus of the Hackathon is to help businesses like yours with their transition to the circular economy. Teams of young innovators will use social innovation and new business models ...

By Piotr Koryński, for MFC CEO FORUM “It often happens that I wake up at night and begin to think about the serious problems afflicting the world and I tell myself; ‘I must talk to the pope about it’. Then the next day when I wake up, I remember that I am the pope.” -Pope John XXIII   Your leadership ...

The case studies present findings on the current state of the fintech industry in six countries: (UK, Netherlands, Poland, Ukraine, Turkey and the Czech Republic) in the context of their potential contribution (positive and negative) to financial inclusion and financial health of individuals and small businesses. The summary paper offers a comparative analysis of fintechs’contribution to financial inclusion and health ...

  The Global SME Finance Forum 2020 meeting connects more than 650 senior bankers, tech leaders and policymakers from 75 or more countries. It is the largest, most high-level, technically in-depth meeting on SME financing that occurs in the world each year. Visit Global SME Finance Forum 2020 official website.   To celebrate the new decade, this year’s Global SME ...

Know your client! – this call has never retired. We observe that MFIs underestimate their clients’ digital readiness. “Our clients do not use Internet” we keep on hearing, while the number of clients engaging with Internet grows at great pace. Together with member MFIs, MFC developed a practical set of questions, which help MFIs understand how they can use Internet ...

Social Banking activities helped to create and preserve almost 45.000 jobs across CEE Since its launch, 30,000 clients were supported with financing, education and/or mentoring Erste Social Banking supports starting entrepreneurs, microfinance businesses, social organisations and people in financial difficulties Financing efforts are combined with financial education to ensure sustainable financial well-being Erste Group is systematically growing its comprehensible Social ...

Read MFC’s latest case study  “Riding The Technology Wave in European Microfinance: The Case of Qredits”. This case study traces the origins and the digital evolution of Qredits, a Dutch microfinance foundation that is the only national program providing an alternative source of funding to new- and early-stage businesses.  Qredits, from its inception, has banked on the intensive use of ...