MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Union (EU), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Partner to Support Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Mongolia, Turkey

The European Union (EU) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), a London-based multilateral investor, recently partnered to launch a EUR 3.8 million (USD 4.7 million) project in Mongolia geared towards small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: responsAbility Lends $8.2m to Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) FINCA DRC, Bandhan of India, Opportunity Microcredit Romania

Switzerland’s responsAbility Social Investments AG (responsAbility) recently reported to MicroCapital that it has made loans amounting to USD 8.2 million to microfinance institutions (MFIs) FINCA DRC of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bandhan of India and Opportunity Microcredit Romania (OMRO).

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: responsAbility Lends $4.3m to Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) Banco Solidario of Ecuador, Interactuar of Colombia

Swiss company responsAbility Social Investments AG (responsAbility) recently reported to MicroCapital that it has made loans to Latin American microfinance institutions (MFIs) Banco Solidario of Ecuador and Interactuar of Colombia.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: EU Pledges Additional €5m to EBRD’s Small Business Programmes in Eastern Europe

The European Union (EU) has committed an additional EUR 5 million (USD 6.9 million) to the UK-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for its “TurnAround Management” (TAM) and “Business Advisory Service” (BAS) programs in the Eastern Partnership region [1].

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: responsAbility Global Microfinance Fund Lends $2.3m to Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) Coopronaranjo of Costa Rica, Fundación Amanecer of Colombia, COAC Esperanza y Progreso Del Valle of Ecuador

Swiss company responsAbility Social Investments AG (responsAbility) recently reported to MicroCapital that it has made loans to three Latin American microfinance institutions (MFIs): USD 1.5 million to Coopronaranjo of Costa Rica, USD 500,000 to Cooperativa de Ahorro y Credito Esperanza y Progreso del Valle (COAC Progreso) of Ecuador and the local currency equivalent of USD 374,000 to Fundación Amanecer of Colombia.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: responsAbility Loans $9.2m to Microfinance Institutions FINCA of Mexico, IDEPRO of Bolivia, EDPYME Alternativa of Peru, D-Miro of Ecuador

responsAbility Social Investments AG (responsAbility), a Swiss asset management company that manages four microfinance investment vehicles (MIVs), recently reported to MicroCapital that it made loans to microfinance institutions (MFIs) through its MIVs equivalent to the following amounts: the local-currency equivalent of USD 4.92 million to FINCA Mexico, the local-currency equivalent of USD 850,000 to Instituto para el Desarrollo de la Pequeña Unidad Productiva (IDEPRO) in Bolivia, USD 1.41 million to Entidad de Desarrollo a la Pequeña y Micro Empresa (EDPYME) Alternativa in Peru and USD 2 million to Fundación para el Desarrollo Microempresarial D-Miro (D-Miro) in Ecuador [1].

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: responsAbility Loans $10.5m in Local Currency to ProCredit Affiliates in Ecuador, Mexico; Peruvian Microfinance Institutions Confianza, Crear Arequipa

responsAbility Social Investments AG (responsAbility), a Swiss asset management company that manages four microfinance investment vehicles (MIVs), recently reported to MicroCapital that it made local-currency loans equivalent to the following amounts through its MIVs: USD 2 million to ProCredit Ecuador; USD 2.97 million to ProCredit Mexico; USD 2.05 million to Financiera Confianza and USD 3.5 million to Edpyme Crear Arequipa, the last two of which are microfinance institutions (MFIs) located in Peru.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to Loan $14m to Banca Intesa Beograd of Serbia for On-Lending to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), a development finance institution based in the United Kingdom, has agreed to loan EUR 10 million (USD 14 million) to Banca Intesa Beograd, a Serbian commercial bank, to facilitate on-lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the country.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Loans $6m in Local Currency to Microfinance Institution AccessBank Tajikistan

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), a UK-based development finance institution, has agreed to make a four-year, local-currency loan of TJS 29 million (USD 6 million) to AccessBank Tajikistan, a bank that specializes in financial services for micro- and small enterprises (MSEs).

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: responsAbility Loans $27m to Microfinance Institution Prizma of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Russia’s Forus Bank, NBD Bank, FINCA Russia

responsAbility Social Investments AG, a Swiss investment company that manages four microfinance investment vehicles (MIVs), recently reported to MicroCapital that it has made debt investments worth the equivalent of USD 27.4 million in NBD Bank, a commercial bank in Russia, and three microfinance institutions (MFIs): Microcredit Foundation Prizma of Bosnia and Herzegovina; FINCA Russia; and Forus Bank, also of Russia.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Loans $6m in Local Currency to Microfinance Institution (MFI) Bai Tushum of Kyrgyz Republic

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), a development finance institution, has agreed to make a three-year, local-currency loan of KGS 270 million (USD 6 million) to Bai Tushum and Partners, a non-banking microfinance institution (MFI) operating in the Kyrgyz Republic.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Fund for Southeast Europe Attracts $41m, Will Fund Microfinance in Four Additional Countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Belarus

The European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE), a major funder of institutions that finance housing and micro- and small enterprises, recently announced that it has secured funding commitments equivalent to USD 41 million, much of which will be invested in four countries in which it will invest for the first time: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Belarus. 

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) Provides $25m Loan to ProCredit Holding to Lend to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), an “independent U.S. government agency” that provides services to facilitate foreign investment to “less developed countries,” has approved a loan of USD 25 million to ProCredit Holding, “a [German] parent company of 22 development-oriented banks” operating in Latin America, Eastern Europe and Africa with a gross loan portfolio of EUR 3.3 billion, the equivalent of over USD 4.9 billion, as of the end of 2008 [1,2,3]. This loan will be used by ProCredit to expand their loan provision to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) [1]. MicroCapital reported on a 2005 loan from OPIC to ProCredit worth USD 30 million [4]. OPIC also made a USD 3 million loan to a ProCredit microfinance institution (MFI) in Moldova in 2005, and a USD 5 million loan to ProCredit Bank in Ukraine in the same year [5,6]. OPIC Acting President Dr. Lawrence Spinelli has commented on the importance of the latest loan in terms of allowing ProCredit to “diversify its capital base” [1].

MICROCAPITAL STORY: EFSE Invests USD 10 million Into PJSC MEGABANK of Ukraine

The European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE) and PJSC MEGABANK, a Ukrainian commercial bank, signed a loan agreement of USD 10 million.  This long-term subordinated loan is intended to allow PJSC to enlarge its capacity to provide access to finance for micro and small enterprises.  This is EFSE’s first investment in the Ukrainian market.[3]

MEET THE MICROBANKER: Interview with Scott Budde, Managing Director of the Global Social and Community Investment Group (GSCIG) and founder of the Global Microfinance Investment Program (GMIP) at TIAA-CREF

TIAA-CREF is a national financial services organization with more than USD 398 billion in combined assets under management (9/30/08) and a provider of retirement services in the academic, research, medical and cultural fields. In 2006 the company had formed a new Social and Community Investing Department within its Asset Management area. The Global Microfinance Investment Program is part of TIAA-CREF’s Social and Community Investing Department, which develops new socially oriented products, oversees the screening methodology of social screened funds, formulates policies around key social issues and manages community investment programs. Notable accomplishments for the firm have been the creation of a USD 100 million Global Microfinance Investment Program (GMIP) to invest in selected Microfinance Institutions (MFI’s) worldwide. Concurrently, TIAA-CREF also announced GMIP’s first investment – a USD 43 million private equity stake in ProCredit Holding AG, a microfinance company.

Scott Budde, Managing Director of the Global Social and Community Investment Group (GSCIG), and founder of the Global Microfinance Investment Program (GMIP) at TIAA-CREF

CGAP Microfinance Dealbook: May 2009 Transactions

The CGAP Microfinance Dealbook publicizes microfinance capital market transactions in an effort to bring greater transparency to the industry. This information is made freely available as a public service. Parties to microfinance transactions are encouraged to submit their deals to this effort. The following deals were collected for May 2009:

MICROCAPITAL STORY: BlueOrchard Finance Disburses Over USD 28m to Microfinance Institutions in May

BlueOrchard Finance disbursed over USD 28 million in loans to 13 microfinance institutions (MFIs) in May.  As reported to the CGAP Microfinance Dealbook, BlueOrchard Finance loaned USD 15.5 million through the Dexia Micro-Credit Fund and USD 1 million through the BBVA Codespa Microfinance Fund. BlueOrchard is also an advisor to the Microfinance Enhancement Facility, launched by the International Finance Corporation and KfW Entwicklungsbank, which disbursed its first four loans totaling USD 12 million.