At the Africa Financial Summit (AFIS) in Casablanca, Proparco and the European Union announced the launch of the Impact+ Facility, an innovative guarantee programme designed to enhance access to credit for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) across Africa. The initiative aims to empower local financial institutions, strengthen their lending capacity, and promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth across key sectors.
Addressing the significant financing gap faced by MSMEs, the Impact+ Facility introduces a credit risk-sharing mechanism backed by a €178 million counter-guarantee from the European Union through the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+). Over the next five years, the programme is expected to mobilize €1.1 billion in guarantees through local partner banks and financial institutions. This approach will leverage financing for vital sectors including climate action, sustainable agriculture, education, and health, while expanding access to finance for women, youth, and refugees—groups often excluded from traditional banking systems.
According to Djalal Khimdjee, Deputy CEO of Proparco, Impact+ builds on the success of the earlier Euriz guarantee facility but operates on a larger and more ambitious scale. The programme reflects a multi-stakeholder partnership model that brings together the European Union, the AFD Group, and African financial institutions to share risk and foster small business growth. Proparco will provide guarantees ranging from €2 million to €50 million, covering loans of €500 to €2 million, with maturities from six months to ten years. Coverage can reach up to 80% of the principal plus one year of unpaid interest, ensuring meaningful financial support for small enterprises operating in fragile or high-impact sectors.
The Impact+ Facility also aligns with the European Global Gateway strategy, which seeks to build more inclusive and resilient economies through private sector development. Alongside financial guarantees, the initiative includes targeted technical assistance to help partner banks strengthen their managerial capacity and ensure long-term sustainability. Fulvio Capurso of the European Commission’s DG MENA highlighted that Impact+ represents a new model of de-risked finance—catalysing local investment, driving innovation among financial institutions, and demonstrating that financing small enterprises is both profitable and essential for equitable and sustainable economic growth.
