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Source: Excerpts from an EBRD article by Anton Usov
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is strengthening its support for climate resilience and gender-inclusive entrepreneurship in the Kyrgyz Republic through a new $8 million financial package to FINCA Bank Kyrgyzstan, one of the country’s leading microlenders.
The funding is aimed at helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adopt green technologies and build resilience to climate change, while also promoting access to finance for women-led businesses.
The package is divided into two key components:
- $4 million under the Women in Business (WiB) programme for Central Asia, supported by the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi). This initiative empowers female entrepreneurs by improving their access to capital, mentoring, and advisory services.
- $4 million under the Green Economy Financing Facility III (KyrSEFF III), a climate-focused initiative launched by the EBRD and approved by shareholders in late 2022. This component will help SMEs improve energy and resource efficiency, reduce pollution, and support the sustainable use of water resources, while boosting climate adaptation strategies across key sectors.
The new funding package reinforces the EBRD’s long-term partnership with FINCA Bank Kyrgyzstan, which has been operating in the country since 1995 and is part of FINCA Impact Finance (FIF)—a global network of socially responsible microfinance institutions.
Since beginning operations in the Kyrgyz Republic in 1992, the EBRD has invested over €1 billion across 257 projects, focusing primarily on sustainable infrastructure and the private sector.
This initiative marks another important step in the Bank’s mission to drive inclusive economic growth while supporting the green transition in Central Asia.
