Campaign „Microfinance for Youth Entrepreneurship 2024“

The Microcredit Foundation EKI and the Microcredit Society EKI have joined the "Microfinance for Youth Entrepreneurship 2024" campaign. This campaign, organized by the Microfinance Center (MFC) and supported by 17 partner financial institutions, aims to highlight the key role of the microfinance sector in empowering young entrepreneurs.

Through this campaign, MFC seeks to expand its reach to include microfinance sector stakeholders and emphasize the sector's role in supporting youth entrepreneurship. According to the "Missing Entrepreneurs 2023" report, around 40% of young people in the EU, aged 15 to 30, aspire to be self-employed. However, barriers such as limited entrepreneurial skills, limited networking opportunities, and limited access to finance continue to hinder young people's ability to start a business or become self-employed, despite increased support.

This campaign aligns with EKI’s values of promoting financial inclusion and diversity, and we hope that our participation will make a significant contribution to strengthening the microfinance sector, as well as empowering entrepreneurs and marginalized groups in our community.

Ewa Bankowska, Deputy Director of MFC, stated: "Microfinance Center and its partners have been supporting 'missing entrepreneurs' for two years. By sharing success stories and raising awareness, we advocate for microfinance as a vital link for entrepreneurs facing financial barriers. Last year’s campaign highlighted the role of microfinance in supporting women entrepreneurs, and this year, we are focusing on youth. It is significant that 89% of European microfinance institutions already finance projects by young entrepreneurs. Our mission is to encourage youth entrepreneurship at the international level through microfinance."

"Missing Entrepreneurs 2023" represents the seventh edition in a series of biennial reports examining how government policies can unlock the untapped entrepreneurial potential from underrepresented segments of the population, including women, youth, older individuals, the unemployed, immigrants, and people with disabilities.

Among the partners of the "Microfinance for Youth Entrepreneurship 2024" campaign are the following financial institutions: EKI, 3Bank, Prima Finantare, Microinvest, Vitas30, Partner, Fondi Besa, Microsmart, Mi-Bospo, AMFI, FedInvest, NOA, BCR Social Finance IFN, Moznosti, Agro and Social Fund, AMA, Kredo.

For more information about the campaign and its partners, you can visit the Microfinance Centre’s page using the link: MFC - Microfinance for Youth Entrepreneurship Campaign 2024.