We are pleased to share with you the new brochure about the instruments and activities that are available for financial intermediaries under the Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) programme*. Download the brochure in English, French & German.   *The Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) programme aims at promoting social inclusion, combating poverty and improving ...

The European Investment Fund (EIF) and the European Commission are announcing a new initiative to help micro-credit and social enterprise finance providers develop their businesses under the EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI). The new “EaSI Capacity Building Investments Window” will reinforce the capacity of selected financial intermediaries in the areas of microfinance and social enterprise finance. Through equity investments (such as seed financing, ...

In early October, MFC staff visited Romania to meet with a range of stakeholders (including MFC members Vitas and GoodBee) to discuss how the microfinance sector currently supports start-up businesses, what challenges the sector faces in that work and the opportunities to expand that support in future. Among key issues and ideas we heard was the fact that 1) the ...

The workshop took place in Sofia, Bulgaria on 10 November 2016. It was jointly hosted by the Bulgarian Association of Credit Cooperatives and Microfinance Organizations (BACCOM) and fi-compass. The event welcomed 34 practitioners from credit cooperatives and microfinance organizations, who discussed opportunities and obstacles within the Bulgarian microfinance sector. The speakers presented useful information regarding the EaSI Technical Assistance, EIF ...

Microfinance and Financial Inclusion 12-14 June 2017 University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom The University of Portsmouth will host the 5th European Microfinance Research Conference between 12th and 14th June 2017. The Conference has a generic theme of Microfinance and Financial Inclusion and is organised in cooperation with the European Microfinance Platform and CERMi. The European Microfinance Research Conference is one of ...

The Working Paper “Indicators to monitor over-indebtedness” is a result of the work of the EFIN Working Group on Over-indebtedness coordinated by MFC. It proposes the indicators to monitor the current indebtedness levels, maps potential data sources and stresses the importance of good quality data. It also offers the ways forward to improve monitoring in the short-, medium- and long-term perspective. ...

Press Release This seventh edition of the Report on microfinance in Europe provides an overview of the development of the sector in terms of the main institutional characteristics, the microloan portfolio, and the social and financial performance for the period 2014-2015. The Report is based on data collected through a survey which was carried out as a collaboration between the ...

The EMN is pleased to announce the re-launch of the European Microfinance Research Award on issues related to microfinance in the European Union and EFTA countries. Research papers exploring the potential and key role of financial education for citizen empowerment will be especially valued as well as those focusing on financial inclusion. Other subjects are equally welcome, e.g. those related ...

6 December 2016 (12:00 PM – 12:40 PM CEST) The aim of the session is to present the key results of the Report “Microfinance in Europe: A Survey of EMN-MFC members” that will be released in December 2016. This seventh edition of the Report on microfinance in Europe provides an overview of the sector developments on the main institutional characteristics, ...

Personal Indebtedness in the EU 7 December 2016 (2:30 – 6:00 PM), Brussels, Belgium     PROGRAM     ONLINE REGISTRATION EFIN and Sylvie Goulard MEP, with the support of the ALDE group, organise a conference dedicated to the EU initiatives to tackle and prevent over-indebtedness. Organised at the EU Parliament, the conference will allow participants to learn more about the EU initiative ...