Frankfurt School’s Innovative Diploma Programs

Our esteemed partner, the Frankfurt School, is now accepting applications for their Diploma Programs in Financial Inclusion, Green Finance and Risk Management. These diploma programs are specifically designed for professionals who are keen to advance their careers and gain practical expertise in their respective fields. The standout feature of these programs is their practical content and blended format, which seamlessly combines e-learning with participation in the renowned Summer Academy.

This is the right programme for you, if you:

• are a professional with experience in the financial sector.
• seek to enhance your technical expertise and gain recognition from an international university.
• aim to advance your career within your organisation.
• wish to combine an exceptional, accredited programme with your full-time job to further your professional development.
• are ready to drive meaningful change in developing economies and/or combat climate change.

Summary: Borrow Wisely and Microfinance for Youth Entrepreneurs Campaigns 2024

In 2024, the Microfinance Centre conducted two key campaigns: Borrow Wisely and Microfinance for Youth Entrepreneurs.

Borrow Wisely, held from October 1-31, promoted global client protection standards. Led by Microfinance Centre and its members, the campaign educated microentrepreneurs, farmers and their families on wise borrowing and avoiding excessive debt.

Microfinance for Youth Entrepreneurship, running from November 1 to December 5, highlighted the microfinance sector’s role in empowering young entrepreneurs, aiming at building the visibility of the sector at the national and regional level. It featured insights from the “Missing Entrepreneurs 2023“ report (approved by the OECD’s Co-operative Action Programme on Local Employment and Economic Development Directing Committee and by the OECD’s Committee for SMEs and Entrepreneurship by written procedure on 6 November 202), which examined government policies to unlock entrepreneurial potential in under-represented groups such as women, youth, seniors, the unemployed, immigrants, and people with disabilities.

Success stories from clients of various microfinance institutions were also shared.

In 2024, we partnered with 19 organizations from 7 European markets.

Collectively, these partners reached more than 1 518 109 individuals through online and offline channels.

Partners 2024

•  3Bank, Serbia

• Prima Finantare, Moldova
• Microinvest, Moldova
• Vitas30, Romania
• Partner, Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Fondi Besa, Albania
• Microsmart, Greece
• Horizonti, Macedonia
• Mi-Bospo, Bosnia & Herzegovina
• AMFI, Bosnia & Herzegovina
• FedInvest, Albania
• EKI, Bosnia & Herzegovina
• IUTE, Albania
• NOA, Albania
• BCR Social Finance IFN, Romania
• Agro and Social Fund, Albania
• Moznosti, Macedonia
• AMA, Albania
• Kredo, Albania

Successful Sales Management Training at Finora Bank under SIFTA Program

MFC recent onsite sales management training was a success!   

Held on 14-16^th of January 2025 at Finora, Vilnius, Lithuania, this comprehensive session was designed to enhance Finora’s sales strategies, foster team collaboration, and drive their performance to new heights. 

Key Highlights of the Training: 

• Interactive Workshops: Engaging sessions that encouraged active participation and real-time problem-solving. 
• Expert Insights: Valuable knowledge shared by experienced sales professional – Artur Munteanu. 
• Team Building Activities: Interactive exercises that strengthened team’s cohesion and morale. 
• Practical Applications: Hands-on training that equipped team with practical tools and techniques to excel in their roles. 

This onsite training has not only provided teams with advanced skills and strategies, but also reinforced their commitment to deliver exceptional service to their clients.  

A big thank you to everyone who contributed to making this training a memorable and impactful experience! 

The training was organized under SIFTA Program.

Tailor-made Excel training for the Employees of the Bielskie Entrepreneurship Center Association under SIFTA Program

MFC recently organized a bespoke Excel training session for the employees of the Bielskie Entrepreneurship Center Association.

Under the guidance of our expert trainer, Michał Jaźwiecki from NT Group, the teams delved into the intricacies of formulas, referencing, aggregation, and deductions.

You might be surprised to hear it, but Excel can be thrilling! 🙃

The training was organized under SIFTA Program.

European Microfinance Week in Luxembourg

Join 500+ thought leaders on 12-14 November 2025 for the key event of the financial inclusion sector gathering hundreds of top experts from all around the world.

Further information will be available in the coming months at www.e-mfp.eu

€165 million to support gender equality, refugee inclusion and development in southern Italy

European Investment Bank (EIB) and Banca Etica have signed a €60 million agreement with the main goals of promoting labour market integration and better services for refugees, making it easier for women-led companies to access finance and supporting projects in cohesion regions. The operation is expected to help stimulate €165 million of investment in the real economy, creating a lasting positive impact on society.

The agreement is split into three sections aiming to support the same number of priorities. The first is that at least 30% of the EIB funds will go to women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This operation aims to narrow the gender gap, making it easier for women entrepreneurs to access finance and help for growing their businesses.

The second section states that at least 30% of the funds will be allocated to projects aiming to improve infrastructure and social services for refugees and helping refugees to enter the labour market. The goal is to create better living conditions and foster the economic empowerment of refugees via investment in housing, education and vocational training.

The third and final section states that at least 30% of the resources will go to SME projects in cohesion regions, helping to strengthen the economy and society, create job opportunities and reduce regional disparities.

The EIB will also provide free technical assistance under the Social Inclusive Finance Technical Assistance (SIFTA) programme. This is being financed by the InvestEU Advisory Hub and will help Banca Etica to allocate resources to women-led SMEs, refugee services and businesses operating in cohesion regions. Launched in 2022, the SIFTA programme has supported around 60 microfinance and credit institutions investing in high social impact companies in over 20 EU countries, helping with investment preparation, portfolio analysis and the creation of a pipeline of operations.

Symbiotics: 2 Decades of Innovation, Collaboration and Impact

This year marks a significant milestone for our member, Symbiotics: two decades of innovation, collaboration, and impact.

What began as a small team with big ideas has evolved into a global network of investors, entrepreneurs, and partners, united by the shared vision that financial success and social impact can go hand in hand.

Here are some remarkable achievements from Symbiotics’ journey so far:
👉 Over 8,200 investments supporting 605 companies across 99 countries
👉 Enabling the creation of 50 million jobs in underserved regions
👉 Mobilizing more than USD 10 billion to finance sustainable development initiatives

Congratulations to Symbiotics and its entire ecosystem – partners, clients, staff, colleagues, shareholders, and board members – for making this journey possible through your trust, dedication, and passion.

Fostering Europe’s prosperity and industrial transformation: Cooperatives as drivers of change

On the occasion of the 2025 International Year of Cooperatives launched by the United Nations, the European Commission is organising a one-day event to promote the cooperative model.

The event will take place on Tuesday 18 March 2025 in Brussels, and it will foster discussions among representatives of the cooperative movement, cooperators, representatives of EU Institutions and academics and on how the cooperative model can support the development of a more prosperous and sustainable economy in the European Union.  

CECOP, together with Cooperative Europe and the European Economic and Social Committee is a partner of the event and supports the European Commission in its preparation. 

During the event, there will be interventions in plenaries and parallel workshops addressing policy areas and key current challenges for cooperative growth and development such as reindustrialisation, innovation & digitalisation, access to finance, etc.  

The plenaries will address three important topics: 

• Resilience of the cooperative model in times of economic uncertainty, and environmental and social challenges, a researcher’s perspective 

• How can public authorities support the development of cooperatives? 

• What is the future for cooperatives in the European Union? A dialogue with stakeholders 

Streaming will be available for plenaries only.

For registration and more information, please visit the European Commission’s official page of the event below.

Discover the Key Social Finance Trends of 2024

We share the Key Trends in  Microfinance and Social Finance Sector of 2024! Our concise yet comprehensive report covers:

• Public sector engagement
• ESG for social economy
• Innovation
• Technology and finance

We’ve meticulously tracked and analyzed the novelties, practices, and discussions from practitioners, national sectors, and at the EU level. Don’t miss out on the best practices and new solutions that are defining this year’s crucial content.

Let’s make 2025 more innovative, diverse, and greener!

2024: What a Year!

As 2025 is already underway, we take a moment to reflect on MFC’s incredible journey in 2024 and extend our heartfelt gratitude to our partners and friends for empowering communities across Europe and Central Asia through sustainable finance.

We wish you resilience and success in the face of challenges this year. Together, let’s make 2025 more innovative, diverse, and greener!

Here are some standout highlights from MFC’s 2024:

• 26th MFC Annual Conference in Krakow: Hosted 127 microfinance and social enterprise finance institutions, 12 microfinance national associations, 28 investors, 13 consultancies, 9 policymakers and regulators, and 5 IT and digital service providers from Europe and Central Asia.
• Social Finance Vibe Virtual Conference: Attracted 422 participants from over 70 countries during an impactful 2-day event.
• CEE Social Economy Forum in Vienna: For the first time, this forum gathered policymakers, ESF+ managing authorities, national promotional banks, microfinance and social finance providers, impact investors, and experts from the EC, EIB Group, and Council of Europe Development Bank. MFC proudly co-organized and played a pivotal role in this landmark event.
• SIFTA Success: A very productive year with 40 events organized under the Social Inclusive Finance Technical Assistance (SIFTA) program, including 20 webinars and workshops, 20 tailored services, and 970 participants.
• Transform Together Fund (TTF) Project: Partnered with Cerise+SPTF we granted 8 social finance organizations to support innovative projects in digital and green areas.
• Advocacy Milestones: Strong representation at key events, including the European Federation of Ethical and Alternative Banks and Financiers’ Annual Conference in Ireland, and significant meetings with representatives of the European Commission (DG EMPL, DG NEAR, and DG ECFIN). These efforts, alongside partners like the European Microfinance Network and Social Economy Europe, furthered our mission for a fairer and more sustainable economic future.
• The Way to Business Program: Successfully completed, enabling female refugees from Ukraine to start businesses or restart their careers in Poland.
• Borrow Wisely and Microfinance for Youth Entrepreneurship Campaigns: Partnered with 19 microfinance organizations across 7 European markets, reaching over 1.5 million people through online and offline channels.
• Representation at Partner Conferences: MFC played a strong role at the MicroBalkans and Azerbaijan Microfinance Association events.
• European Microfinance Day Campaign: Culminated in Brussels with MFC’s representation by council members Martina Grigorova (SIS Credit, Bulgaria) and Elma Zukic (AMFI, Bosnia and Herzegovina), alongside Network and Partnership Manager, Pavol Kapsdorfer.
• European Microfinance Week: Delivered impactful sessions on financial inclusion for refugees, showcasing MFC’s expertise and network.
• Key Publications and Surveys: Released groundbreaking reports, including Microfinance in Europe: Survey Report (2023 Edition), Social Finance Trends 2024, Microfinance in the Caucasus and Central Asia: 2024 Edition, and Green Paper: Supporting Micro and Small Entrepreneurs for a Fair Green Transition.
• Green Leadership: MFC’s CEO, Katarzyna Pawlak, joined the Barcelona Action Circle on Post-growth Finance as an expert in sustainable finance and microfinance.
• Team Retreat: A reset and brainstorming session for the MFC team in Kowalewice.

2025: Let’s take small steps toward meaningful change, together!

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