The smallest enterprises in Romania will have access to financing on favorable terms, totaling 100 million euros, following a new agreement between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Romanian financial institution BCR Social Finance IFN SA, according to a press release from the EU's financial arm.
The EIB is providing a 50 million loan to BCR Social Finance, which will contribute an equivalent amount and channel the entire funding to micro-enterprises in Romania, Agerpres reports.
The operation aims to stimulate the development of micro-enterprises in Romania companies with fewer than ten employees and an annual turnover or a balance sheet total of no more than 2 million euros.
The agreement will support investments for which Romanian micro-enterprises might face difficulties in obtaining traditional bank financing. The financing terms offered under the EIB-BCR Social Finance package will include lower interest rates than those available without the EIB's involvement.
"Europe's investment ambitions must reach all sectors of the economy, including the smallest enterprises. The loan to BCR Social Finance puts this principle into practice, offering entrepreneurs in Romania better access to the long-term financing they need to invest, adapt, and grow. This is the outcome that European investments should deliver: funding that reaches the real economy and creates concrete opportunities where they are needed most," stated EIB Vice-President Ioannis Tsakiris, as quoted in the press release.
A second agreement has been announced under the InvestEU guarantee framework between BCR Social Finance IFN SA and the European Investment Fund (EIF), expanding access to finance for micro-entrepreneurs and the education sector. This additional funding will provide 100 million to support over 5,300 micro-entrepreneurs in Romania particularly in rural areas as well as an additional 10 million aimed at boosting investments in education and skills development.
BCR Social Finance offers financing solutions tailored to small businesses, social enterprises, students, non-governmental organizations, and other entities that face difficulties in accessing traditional bank credit in Romania. As a non-bank financial institution with a social mission, it serves as the social finance division of Erste Group in Romania.
"For a micro-enterprise, access to the right financing at the right time can make the difference between an investment being carried out and one being postponed. This partnership with the EIB Group provides us with an additional capacity to reach entrepreneurs across Romania with financing solutions tailored to their needs. It is a compelling example of how European resources can be transformed into concrete support for small businesses and, ultimately, for the communities in which they operate," stated Stefan Ionut Buciuc, General Manager of BCR Social Finance.
The operation is structured as an intermediated loan for multiple beneficiaries a mechanism that enables local financial institutions to leverage their knowledge of the business environment and markets to channel EIB financing to small businesses and entrepreneurs. This operation is part of the EIB's support for improving access to finance for small businesses across the European Union.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group is the financial arm of the European Union owned by its 27 member states and one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world. In 2025, the EIB Group signed new financing and advisory contracts totaling 100 billion for over 870 projects.
