The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has signed a financing package of €72 million with Banca Intesa Beograd that aims to boost the competitiveness and trade potential of businesses in Serbia, as well as further the country’s green transition and promote financial inclusion.

The package includes three financing facilities: a new risk-sharing framework; a loan under the SME Go Green Programme co-funded by the European Union through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF); and a senior loan under the Western Balkans Women in Business programme.

The €15 million loan signed under the SME Go Green Programme will be used to provide sub-loans to eligible SMEs in Serbia. They will then use the funds to invest in sustainability practices; adopt internationally recognised quality standards; scale up green economy investments (in particular, to ‘green’ agribusiness supply chains); and promote more equitable access to climate finance and other finance for women-led SMEs. Banca Intesa will aim to deliver 70% of the proceeds to projects eligible under the Green Economy Transition (GET) initiative.

Odile Renaud-Basso, President of the EBRD, and Darko Popović, CEO of Banca Intesa, signed the financing package.

Odile Renaud-Basso said: “We are excited to collaborate with Banca Intesa to broaden financing opportunities for growing companies. The EBRD’s risk-participation mechanism will help Banca Intesa manage capital and risk concentration, thereby promoting credit growth for the benefit of the real economy, and the SME Go Green Programme and Western Balkans Women in Business Programme Phase II credit lines will ensure women's economic inclusion and scaling up of green economy investments.”

Darko Popović commented: “I am very pleased that, as a long-term partner of the EBRD in supporting the economy and citizens of Serbia, we are joining forces once again to bring another innovative financial instrument to the local market, which will contribute to the long-term economic growth of our country. As the first bank to join the EBRD risk-sharing framework in Serbia, we will be in a position to provide support for the financial needs of not only SMEs, but also large companies on an even greater scale and help them implement significant investment plans in a flexible way. At the same time, the credit lines signed today will enable us to ensure even stronger support for green transformation and economic empowerment of women as key prerequisites for creating a sustainable, inclusive and resilient economy.”

---

The SME Go Green Programme is an initiative led by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). It focuses on enhancing the green and circular economy, agribusiness and competitiveness investments for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Western Balkans.

• At least 70% of total investments to green technologies

• 33% of total investments to agriculture and agribusiness value chains

• At least 25% of the investments to initiatives led by women

EBRD extends debt financing to SMEs through local commercial banks for qualifying investments. These credit lines are boosted by a EU-funded advisory service and cash-back incentives of up to 10% await SMEs upon successful completion and verification of investments.

More about the Private Sector programmes here