Time: 10.00 – 13.00
Place: Tirana Marriott Hotel, Tirana, Albania
Format: In-person attendance
About the Youth in Business Programme
The Youth in Business programme provides micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) managed or owned by entrepreneurs under the age of 35, which are underserved in the market, with access to the necessary financing, knowledge, skills and other key resources, recognizing their unique needs and helping them overcome challenges and reach their full potential.
The Youth in Business programme is currently active in Egypt, Morocco and all six countries in the Western Balkans: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo*, and, now, Albania. This programme is expected to provide a total of 100 EUR million to local banks in the Western Balkans over the coming years.
The EBRD loan will be boosted by a 70% first-loss risk cover from the Shareholder Special Fund, the EBRD’s multi-donor fund. In addition to finance, the partner financial institutions and end-borrowers will be provided with advisory services in the form of consultancy projects, e-learning and training.
The Programme is supported by Italy through the CEI Fund at the EBRD with 1.5 million EUR in the form of funds for technical cooperation. Additional resources are provided by Sweden through the Swedish Agency for International Development and Cooperation and Luxembourg through the EBRD Small Business Impact Fund.
About the YiB Promotional Event in Albania
Union Bank is organising the promotional event with the scope to communicate the EBRD’s Youth in Business Programme in Albania and establish a relationship with existing and potential clients – young entrepreneurs, as well as promote the set of services dedicated to youth in business.
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.