In order to address the limited availability of financial services to the poor and economically marginalised, the Bank supports an increasing number of microfinance investment vehicles that invest in and provide technical assistance to local microfinance institutions. This instruments are deemed to support micro-businesses and create positive social and economic impacts.

Since 2007, more than 15M€ have been made available from the technical assistance (TA) envelope of the ACP-EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement for capacity-building measures in microfinance institutions (MFIs). Many MFIs have significant needs for capacity-building, and transfer of knowledge in order to succeed as self-sustaining institutions. The ultimate objective of these efforts is to enable local staff to manage microfinance institutions in a sustainable way in order to become self-sufficient and independent from external aid.

Alongside the provision of debt and equity to selected microfinance institutions (MFIs), and the different types of bids issued by EIB and other instruments developed by the Bank, the EIB has more recently made TA funds available to these institutions to enable them to extend sustainable microfinance services and develop innovative products that, in turn, will generate positive social and economic impacts for small and micro-businesses.

Some EIB capacity-building efforts in the microfinance secto

• Dominican Republic- Building capacities in the financial sector: For the past 12 years, the Bank has supported the development and growth of the microfinance sector in the Dominican Republic, playing an instrumental role in the development of Banco de Ahorro y Crédito Ademi (ADEMI) and Banco Adopem.  With this objective in mind the EIB extended its support to other initiatives addressing the specific development needs of a wider spectrum of microfinance institutions in the country, from the smallest to the largest and regulated ones.
• AccesBankLiberia - Improving access to financial services for SMEs and micro-enterprises: Teaming up with Access Microfinance Holding of Germany as well as the International Finance Corporation and the African Development Bank, the EIB has established AccessBank Liberia (ABL) as the country's first commercial bank specialising in micro and small business finance.
• AccèssBanque Madagascar: In January 2008, the EIB signed a TA agreement with LFS, the manager of Access Microfinance Holding and a designated TA provider, to support the creation of four greenfield microfinance institutions (MFIs), one of which was located in Madagascar.