Prepared by the e-MFP Green Inclusive and Climate Smart Finance Action Group (GICSF-AG) under the coordination of the group co-heads: Davide Forcella (JuST Institute, CERMi) and Natalia Realpe Carrillo (HEDERA Sustainable Solutions GmbH), June 2023
By Davide Castellani, Max Niño-Zarazua, Patricia López Rodríguez and Waruguru Ituu in collaboration with the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP) ‘From Research to Practice and Back Again’ Action Group, May 2023.
Our December 2022 Newsletter is now out with all the latest #financialinclusion news from European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP) with: EMW2022 photos, videos, presentations & media coverage ; EMA2022 winner announcement ; publications round up ; meet our new e-MFP Chairwoman, Lucia Spaggiari ; latest webinars from the Green Inclusive & Climate-smart Finance Action Group ; welcome to our new member Baobab group.
The Green Index was developed by the e-MFP Green Inclusive and Climate Smart Finance Action Group (GICSF-AG) in 2014 and was updated (Green Index 2.0) in 2016. Since its first launch, it has become the main framework for assessing the environmental performance of financial services providers (FSP) in green inclusive finance and defining action plans to improve it.
e-MFP is a member-led platform, and we always want to hear what our members are doing in different fields, to increase linkages and knowledge sharing both across the platform and with other stakeholders. Over 2022, e-MFP reached out with some questions to its members to see who was doing what in the area of this year's European Microfinance Award theme – Financial Inclusion that Works for Women. Thanks to our members for sharing their experience!
2022 has been a year of huge activity at e-MFP. Q1 marked two years since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, and over the course of the year there has been a gradual restoration of pre-2020 life - some in-person events, some return to offices - which is true for e-MFP and its members alike.
Prepared by Joana Afonso (e-MFP), Sachin Kumar (Samavit Vikas Private Limited) and Alvaro Ma (Aqua for All) in collaboration with the e-MFP WASH Action Group, September 2022.
Our May 2022 Newsletter is out with all the latest #financialinclusion news from e-MFP: New agreement with #Luxembourg government for 2022-2026; Update on the € 100,000 European #Microfinance Award; Watch our webinar on scaling savings groups; Join us at the 7th European Research Conference on Microfinance, 20-22 June and more...
Catch up on the latest financial inclusion news from e-MFP: €100,000 European Microfinance Award 2022 on ''Financial Inclusion that Works for Women"; Blogs on #financialinclusion and #women; Reports from our active 'Investors' and 'From Research to Practice and Back Again' Action Groups; 50+ summaries & recordings on financial inclusion hot topics from #EMW2021; Webinar on how FSPs can increase access to affordable health care, and more...
The European Microfinance Award 2022 'Financial Inclusion that Works for Women' highlights organisations working in financial inclusion that aim to understand and meet women's challenges and aspirations in order to go beyond traditional gender outreach strategies.
EMW 2021 featured an impressive 50+ sessions with over 120 speakers, top experts in their fields. 500+ participants from all around the globe joined us to explore the latest insights and innovations advancing sustainable and responsible financial inclusion around the world.
"La mayor riqueza es la salud": Lecciones y mejores practicas del Premio europeo de las Microfinanzas 2021 sobre "Finanzas y asistencia sanitaria inclusivas"
"La mayor riqueza es la salud": Lecciones y mejores practicas del Premio europeo de las Microfinanzas 2021 sobre "Finanzas y asistencia sanitaria inclusivas" reúne las iniciativas exceptionales y los factores de éxito del Premio europeo de las Microfinanzas 2021 y presenta a los diez semifinalistas y finalistas de este año.
"La mayor riqueza es la salud": Lecciones y mejores practicas del Premio europeo de las Microfinanzas 2021 sobre "Finanzas y asistencia sanitaria inclusivas"
"La mayor riqueza es la salud": Lecciones y mejores practicas del Premio europeo de las Microfinanzas 2021 sobre "Finanzas y asistencia sanitaria inclusivas" reúne las iniciativas exceptionales y los factores de éxito del Premio europeo de las Microfinanzas 2021 y presenta a los diez semifinalistas y finalistas de este año.
"La santé est le bien le plus précieux" : Leçons et bonnes pratiques du Prix européen de la Microfinance 2021 "Financements et soins de santé inclusifs"
"La santé est le bien le plus précieux" : Leçons et bonnes pratiques issues du Prix européen de la Microfinance 2021 ayant pour thème les "Financements et soins de santé inclusifs" rassemble les initiatives exceptionnelles et les facteurs de réussite du Prix européen de la microfinance 2021 tout en présentant les dix demi-finalistes et finalistes du Prix.
"La santé est le bien le plus précieux" : Leçons et bonnes pratiques du Prix européen de la Microfinance 2021 "Financements et soins de santé inclusifs"
"La santé est le bien le plus précieux" : Leçons et bonnes pratiques issues du Prix européen de la Microfinance 2021 ayant pour thème les "Financements et soins de santé inclusifs" rassemble les initiatives exceptionnelles et les facteurs de réussite du Prix européen de la microfinance 2021 tout en présentant les dix demi-finalistes et finalistes du Prix.
Our latest Newsletter is now out - check out our recent news & activities with: our 4 exciting #emw2021 plenary recordings; best practices & lessons learned from EMA2021; round up of e-MFP 2021 publications; our blog series on #HR development practices; our Action Group's recent #green #inclusivefinance webinars; introduction to our new board members, and more...
The First Wealth is Health: Lessons and Best Practices from the European Microfinance Award 2021 on ‘Inclusive Finance & Health Care’ condenses the themes, pulls together the outstanding cases and factors for success from the 2021 European Microfinance Award and profiles the ten Award semi-finalists and finalists.
The First Wealth is Health: Lessons and Best Practices from the European Microfinance Award 2021 on ‘Inclusive Finance & Health Care’ condenses the themes, pulls together the outstanding cases and factors for success from the 2021 European Microfinance Award and profiles the ten Award semi-finalists and finalists.
Prepared by Davide Castellani, Max Niño-Zarazua, Valeria E. Pujia and Valentina Garofalo in collaboration with the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP) ‘From Research to Practice and Back Again’ Action Group, November 2021.
Webinar by the e-MFP's Green Inclusive and Climate Smart Finance Action Group
Identifying vulnerabilities - Insights from the IMPACT-R project assessing microfinance customers’ access to basic services
Prepared by Cheryl Frankiewicz in collaboration with the e-MFP Human Resources (HR) Action Group, August 2021.
This publication is the result of the e-MFP Human Resources (HR) Action Group's research journey to map out the current landscape of Human Resource Development (HRD) practices among microfinance institutions (MFIs), and to shed some light on the relationship between HR practices and MFI performance.
Our July Newsletter is now out - check out our recent news & activities: Update on the European Microfinance Award 2021 on Inclusive Finance and Health Care; Guest blog 'Five to thrive! Embedding health in financial services' from Craig Churchill & Lisa Morgan, ILO;Interview with Muktinath Bikas Bank of Nepal on their savings products; Focus on digital finance; and the most recent webinars from our Green Inclusive and Climate Smart Action Group.
Can energy and financial access be brought at once? Research results and experiences from BrightLife and future plans of Penda Capital in Uganda, April 2021. Webinar series organised by the e-MFP's Green Inclusive & Climate Smart Finance Action Group.
Challenges and Opportunities for Green Finance in Central America and the Caribbean, March 2021. Webinar series organised by the e-MFP's Green Inclusive & Climate Smart Finance Action Group
The European Microfinance Award 2021 on 'Inclusive Finance and Health Care' highlights initiatives that facilitate access to quality and affordable health care for low-income communities. This Concept Note provides information on the topic of the Award.
Delve into the extensive summaries plus full recordings of the EMW2020 sessions covering key topics such as the impact of & response to covid-19, effective & inclusive savings, digital finance, climate change, client protection and more....
Encourager une épargne efficace et inclusive permet non seulement de comprendre pourquoi l'épargne est si importante pour les populations vulnérables, mais aussi de présenter les dix demi-finalistes du Prix et comment leurs initiatives diverses et fascinantes encouragent réellement une épargne efficace et inclusive - ainsi que de souligner les facteurs de leur succès.
Fomentar el ahorro eficaz e inclusivo no sólo explica por qué el ahorro es tan importante para las poblaciones vulnerables, sino que también describe a los diez semifinalistas del Premio y cómo sus diversas y fascinantes iniciativas fomentan realmente el ahorro eficaz e integrador - así como los factores de su éxito.
Encourager une épargne efficace et inclusive permet non seulement de comprendre pourquoi l'épargne est si importante pour les populations vulnérables, mais aussi de présenter les dix demi-finalistes du Prix et comment leurs initiatives diverses et fascinantes encouragent réellement une épargne efficace et inclusive - ainsi que de souligner les facteurs de leur succès.
Fomentar el ahorro eficaz e inclusivo no sólo explica por qué el ahorro es tan importante para las poblaciones vulnerables, sino que también describe a los diez semifinalistas del Premio y cómo sus diversas y fascinantes iniciativas fomentan realmente el ahorro eficaz e integrador - así como los factores de su éxito.
Activities in 2020 | Report of the e-MFP Secretariat
2020 has been a very challenging year in which the Covid-19 pandemic has posed a critical threat to the financial inclusion sector – to providers, funders, support providers, regulators, our members and of course, to clients.
Check out our Autumn Newsletter with updates on: Virtual EMW2020; Encouraging Effective and Inclusive Savings; our first book Taking Shelter: Housing Finance for the World's Poor; e-MFP Members' Spotlight on Savings; latest guest blogs and more...
Encouraging effective & inclusive savings captures not only why savings matter so much to vulnerable populations, but also profiles the ten Award semi-finalists and how their diverse and fascinating initiatives actually encourage effective and inclusive savings – and the factors for their success.
Encouraging Effective & Inclusive Savings captures not only why savings matter so much to vulnerable populations, but also profiles the ten Award semi-finalists and how their diverse and fascinating initiatives actually encourage effective and inclusive savings – and the factors for their success.
e-MFP is a member-led platform, and we always want to hear what our members are doing in different fields, to increase linkages and knowledge sharing both across the platform and with other stakeholders. Over 2020, e-MFP reached out with some questions to its members to see who was doing what in the area of this year's European Microfinance Award theme – Encouraging Effective & Inclusive Savings. Thanks to our members for sharing their experience.
Our Summer Newsletter is now out - check out our recent news & activities: updates on EMW 2020 & the European Microfinance Award; our latest publications the 'Covid-19 Financial Inclusion Compass' & 'Adapting to a New Normal'; our blog series 'Perspectives from the Frontline' and valuable Covid-19 resources.
The Covid-19 Financial Inclusion Compass is a special edition of the Compass series specifically focused on the current challenges, medium-term priorities, concerns, opportunities and forecasts for a sector facing probably the greatest crisis in its modern history. It reveals a sector that is highly anxious about the consequences of the pandemic and especially the economic downturn – on liquidity-starved providers, on investors, but most of all on clients.
How is the financial inclusion sector responding to the Covid-19 pandemic? The immense challenges right now – to clients, institutions, investors, support providers, and policy-makers – are clear. But the question we’d like to ask is: are we managing? Just how much trouble are we in?
European Microfinance Week 2019, #emw2019, gathered 450 leading experts from 62 countries to showcase the most exciting innovations advancing sustainable and responsible financial inclusion around the world. We are proud to present this extensive report which features all the sessions and brings together the important discussions, findings and presentations of the conference.
While client protection is a foundation of responsible finance, implementing it requires wrestling with a fundamental question: when does protection become a paternalistic limitation on client choice? Among responsible finance adherents, there is universal agreement that clients should be provided with clear, simple information in order to make financial decisions. But often this is seen as insufficient, and institutions and regulations go further, limiting or prohibiting certain practices because they are deemed irresponsible -- thus also limiting client choices. The EMW 2019 Closing Plenary used a free debate format to explore the challenge of balancing between these two objectives -- client choice and client protection.
It's now a tradition that the European Microfinance Week opens with a plenary session featuring the finalists of the European Microfinance Award, the €100,000 prize awarded by the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. In 2019 on the topic of "Strengthening resilience to climate change", the Award aims to highlight the critical role the financial inclusion sector plays at strengthening the resilience of vulnerable communities to the effects of climate change.
Climate change is a major threat to financial stability and poverty alleviation. Financial regulators and policy makers are recognizing the urgent need to develop financial markets that are able to cope with climate-related risks and that, at the same time, support financial policies that help strengthen the resilience of the population. This resilience is especially crucial for the low-income and financially excluded populations that the financial inclusion sector serves: their livelihoods depend on activities most affected by climate change (such as agriculture, forestry and fisheries), and their countries are usually among the most exposed to climate change hazards and the less ready to face them. This session discussed how to best manage systemic climate-related risks as well as the policies that the financial inclusion sector should develop and support to strengthen the resilience of the sector itself and its clients.
The less money you have, the more time you spend managing it! The panel aimed at exploring and highlighting the specific in Financial inclusion for refugees and Internal Displaced Populations (IDP's): Who are they ? What are their income sources ? What are their spending's? What are their financial needs? How to serve them? How regulation helps to financially include the most vulnerable? How to speed up and scale up?
The session aimed at sensitising participants about the risks related to financial services provision and child labor and unsafe labor practices and invited participants to contribute to an emerging tool that aims at integrating mitigation measures in women’s economic empowerment (WEE) programmes.
The session aimed to introduce the concept of ethical banking (EB) and discussed how it is similar and different to microfinance and how EB operates. Since 1930 the banking business, which originally had a social involvement, has been progressively losing this original social features. This has made necessary the birth, through a bottom-up process of a new generation of social banks, the so-called "ethical banks". But which are the criteria that a bank that wants to be defined ethical should meet, how does EB select and evaluate the ethics of their investment? Where does microfinance stand in comparison of recent EB's development? How does EB assess the environmental and social impact of their investees? These are among the topics that will be discussed during the panel. Throughout the session, we learned about which are the financial instruments available for the promotion of the ethical banking sector and which challenges EB have still to face in order to move the sector forward.
Technology is reshaping the financial inclusion market opening up opportunities for reaching scale and efficiency. But how can technology be a way to reduce gender inequality in the financial systems and better serve the specific needs of women? How can financial institutions, investors and the microfinance sector as a whole, leverage technological solutions to promote gender equality? Microfinance has always had a focus on women and has proven effective in addressing several forms of inequality, such as income, health, education, etc. Nonetheless, the gender gap in access to financial services and to the internet is still a challenge, especially in emerging markets. This panel explored the barriers faced by women and the solutions to address them form the direct experience of investors, financial service providers and consulting companies.
The digitization of banking and payments offers great promise for advancing financial inclusion. But cyber threats have become a growing concern in emerging financial markets across the world and are affecting both consumers' trust and confidence in financial service providers (FSPs) and FSPs' financial assets. Governments in emerging markets are also becoming aware of the need to develop regulatory frameworks, industry guidance and supervisory processes. However, cyber security management and monitoring require new expertise and resources for both FSPs and governments that are often scarce in developing countries due to the lack of capacity and affordable support services.
Focusing on the needs of customers remains a challenge in Africa, according to 2019 report to be published by WSBI's Scale2Save Programme, a partnership between WSBI and Mastercard Foundation. The report finds that member banks offer a variety of accounts as part of their drive to attract and satisfy customers. But it also found their product and service mix still falls short of customer needs. The panel presented the key insights from the "Savings and Retail Banking in Africa" report and discussed the major challenges to encourage savings for low-income customers following the 4 pillars of the financial inclusion: usability, affordability accessibility and sustainability. Different perspectives from both the demand and supply side from the panelists were discussed.
This session, entitled "Looking back; looking ahead" focused on how financial inclusion changes over time - the trends and shifts in attitude that have taken place over the last decade, and what stakeholders think is yet to come. The session brought together representatives of Convergences and e-MFP, to present a decade of the Microfinance Barometer and the findings of the just-launched Financial Inclusion Compass 2019, respectively. The first presentation, from Convergences (which publishes the annual Microfinance Barometer) looked back at how over ten editions of the Barometer, attitudes and priorities have shifted among readers and contributors. The second presentation looked ahead, to present the second Compass, a mixed-methodology survey of various sector stakeholders' predictions, concerns and focus areas. A panel discussion of these trends included a response by an eminent sector leader with a multi-decade career.
This session illustrated an innovative approach proposed by YAPU Solutions and NpM to agriculture finance for smallholders that includes climate change resiliency as key dimension in risks and process management, products design and adaptation. Technology, tailored services and (geo)data will play the role of key ingredients. As example of actual implementation of such approaches the panel presented the multiplier role played by Ecuadorian network RFD in supporting the IDB EcoMicro project "Agricultural Finance and Smart Data for Climate Change Adaptation"; the second phase of "Microfinance for Eco-system based Adaptation", implemented in 9 countries in the LAC and SSA regions. NpM's programme "Geodata for Inclusive Finance and Food (G4IFF)", looked at the use of geo and agri-based data by FSPs to improve access to finance to smallholders. Apollo Agriculture, one of the winners of NpM's Innovators Challenge, elaborated on their solution which consists of using agronomic machine learning, remote sensing and mobile phones to deliver credit, farm inputs, and advice to farmers.
This session tackled the role of financial inclusion investors in increasing vulnerable populations' resilience. With a focus on Central and Latin America, where climate change is increasing instability in several countries but which can lead some investors to respond by reducing their exposure and limiting risk, representatives from leading sector investors discussed how their investments aim to strengthen the resilience of the end client, what the main challenges and opportunities are for investors in this field, and how they envisage the investors' role in contributing to the sector's efforts to tackle climate change.
This session examined some of the latest innovations in energy finance via a 'World Café' format, in which, after short initial presentations, the three speakers rotate every 15 minutes around the audience – a format that allows extensive audience interactivity and participation. Moderated by consultant and former Inclusive Finance Director at MFR Chiara Pescatori, this session presented three fascinating initiatives in this dynamic field: A CGAP partnership with MFI Baobab Senegal and energy PayGo company Baobab Plus; a presentation of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition's work on innovative models in financing clean cookstoves; and the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association's new consumer protection code and self-assessment tool for solar PayGo companies.
This was the first of what e-MFP hopes to be a series of EMW sessions to feature relevant research findings for practitioners. Leading financial inclusion researchers gave individual lectures, followed by Q&A with the audience. A chance to learn more about the latest developments in the academia that are relevant for your work!
This session discussed practical and innovative approaches taken by financial service providers and asset managers to measure and incentivize positive social outcomes. It was divided into three parts and explored the business case for social outcomes measurement, how you do it, and what the challenges and next steps are for these institutions. MFO Crystal described implementation of their outcomes framework, shared insights they have gained, and how they used outcomes data to inform product design and important management decisions. Incofin discussed the asset manager perspective and the important role they play through its funds and TA facilities to push the frontiers of social outcomes measurement by supporting its investees to use rigorous, data-driven methods to track their impact. Grassroots Capital shared their efforts underway to incentivize impact through performance-linked notes. CERISE described the practical assessment tool they developed, the MetODD-SDG, that is available for providers and investors to measure their contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals through a list of micro-level indicators for SDG Targets.
Financial cooperatives play an important role in increasing financial inclusion, especially with regards to the very poor. However, their set up, governance structure, and member-owned equity often poses challenges for investors. This session shared the challenges and lessons learned from supporting cooperatives on all continents.
This session was a follow up of the European Microfinance Award 2016 “Microfinance and Access to Education”. With the participation of the Kashf Foundation, EMA 2016 winner, and OBUL, EMA 2016 finalist, panellists reflected on how the financial inclusion sector’s support of access to quality of education has evolved over the past years and shared with the audience new innovative practices, tools and examples from different markets.
This session was part of EMW's country-specific annual series. In 2019, its aim was to present the conference audience with recent developments in the Bangladeshi financial inclusion sector. Representatives from key sector players presented how over the years clients' needs and behaviour have evolved and the sector has embarked on an intense digitalisation path, with the experience of BRAC, one of the oldest MFIs in the country, as an example of how MFIs have evolved and adapted to those changes. The panel also included a presentation on the current investment landscape and opportunities.
Poor communities in disaster-prone areas are hit hard by disasters. Resilience and preparedness are the first lines of defence. The session analysed two experiences. After the Haiyan typhoon in the Philippines, Vision Fund International and Global Parametrics (GP) gathered 3 years of evidence of recovery lending finding an approach (capital & credit) to support post disaster recovery lending using climate index. Both organizations launched ARDIS (African Asian and Americas Resilience in Disaster Insurance Scheme) in 2018. GP, Oxfam Novib and PLAN focus on preparedness in the B-Ready Program combining two innovations: digital weather forecasting and risk modelling technologies for early warning systems; financial technologies for pre-disaster cash transfer. Based on smart data, early warning systems local humanitarian actors can immediately and safely deliver cash prior to a disaster.
This was the first of five sessions that delved into the topic of the European Microfinance Award 2019 "Strengthening resilience to Climate Change". Its aim was to set the scene and provide a broad overview of the landscape of climate change, its impact, its challenges, and the responses of the financial inclusion sector to tackle them. This session was a must to broaden understanding on how our sector plays a key role in addressing climate change and strengthens clients' preparedness and readiness to the consequences of climate change. Sectoral experts and practitioners presented experiences of responses to resolve climate change challenges from the inclusive finance sector with some typical examples of what has worked and what has not.
The session continued the EMW 2018 dialogue on digital transformation to understand how impact investors and donors best support the microfinance sector on this. Microfinance institutions (MFIs) are facing growing pressure to digitalize operations. How can impact investors, working with the MFIs, support their partners best? And how do they ensure it results in responsible financial services? The focus of the session lay on the MIV's perspective of the digitalisation trends in their portfolio and what they do to assist in this process. Learnings and experiences were shared about how digital transformation can be accelerated with technical assistance approaches. Also the need for (donor) funding to accelerate responsible digital finance was discussed. Moreover, investors shared how digitalization impacts the management of their portfolio (risk issues; due diligence; investment strategies, etc).
Montpellier Business School, the French National Research Institute for Development (IRD) and the University Paris Dauphine, in cooperation with e-MFP and CERMI, organised the 6th European Research Conference on Microfinance from 3rd to 5th June 2019 in Paris, France with over 130 delegates and speakers attending the event.
European Microfinance Award 2018 Financial Inclusion through Technology: Digital Pathways in Financial Inclusion
By Sam Mendelson, April 2019.
Digital Pathways in Financial Inclusion draws on the technology initiatives of the winners and semi-finalists of the 2018 European Microfinance Award on ‘Financial Inclusion through Technology’, paving the way for how advances in technology can be adopted by financial services providers who serve the excluded.
European Microfinance Award 2018 - Financial Inclusion through Technology: Digital Pathways to Financial Inclusion
By Sam Mendelson, April 2019.
Digital Pathways in Financial Inclusion, which draws on the technology initiatives of the winners and semi-finalists of the 2018 European Microfinance Award on ‘Financial Inclusion through Technology’, paving the way for how advances in technology can be adopted by financial services providers who serve the excluded.
Our Winter 2018/2019 Newsletter is now out with: some of the EMW highlights and the European Microfinance Award ceremony; Spotlight on Advans Côte d'Ivoire, winner of the 2018 Award; an article on blended finance by BlueOrchard; update on 10 years of Grameen Credit Agricole Foundation plus all the latest news and activities from e-MFP and its members complete the edition.
It's now a tradition that the European Microfinance Week opens with a plenary session featuring the finalists of the European Microfinance Award, the €100,000 prize awarded by the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
The inaugural e-MFP Survey of Financial Inclusion Trends
e-MFP's inaugral Financial Inclusion Compass 2018 – is a new paper on emerging short, medium and long-term trends in the financial inclusion sector, based on a survey of e-MFP members and key industry stakeholders.
Prepared by Lucia Spaggiari, MFR, in collaboration with the e-MFP Investor Action Group and the Social Performance Task Force (SPTF) Social Investors Working Group. October 2018.
Prepared by Bonnie Brusky (CERISE), Cécile Lapenu (CERISE, Amelia GreenBerg (SPTF) and Kinga Dabrowska (MFC) in collaboration with the e-MFP Making Microfinance Responsbible Action Group, October 2018.
With the growing maturity of the microfinance industry, a question that has come into sharper focus is how social investors committed to advancing responsible finance practices should “exit responsibly” from the microfinance institutions (MFIs) – and, increasingly, the broader category of financial service providers (FSPs) and other companies working in financial inclusion – in which they have invested.
European Microfinance Award 2017 Microfinance for Housing: Building New Foundations in Housing Microfinance
By Sam Mendelson, April 2018.
Building New Foundations in Housing Microfinance, presents the outcomes of the European Microfinance Award 2017, on Microfinance for Housing. It draws on the fascinating and diverse housing programmes of the 2017 Award winner and semi-finalists and distills the varied initiatives into seven factors for success.
Big Data, we've all heard the term. Across industries, teams are excited and daunted by the prospect of data transforming the way they work. In this Talk, Tom Allen discusses the impact big data will have on the microfinance sector as a gateway to financial inclusion for the poor and how data plays an integral role in the management of a microfinance network and what this means at client level.
Activities in 2017 | Report of the e-MFP Secretariat
This is the time of the year when we can look back on what the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP) has been doing over the past twelve months, and tell you, our members, what went on, and how it ties together with what we have planned for the future. This report is a great chance not just to take stock of where we are, but to reach out to the members who are the backbone of our organisation.
Training on "Climate smart agriculture and climate smart lending" organized by the e-MFP Microfinance and Environment Action Group, prepared and delivered by YAPU Solutions, took place on November 29th during European Microfinance Week 2017.
Date: October 26, 2017 Presented by: Justin McAuley, VisionFund
In this session Justin McAuley details a product that VisionFund has implemented to automate the application process for loan officers in the field. Drawing on data from over 80 sources, the technology uses an algorithm to create loan terms appropriate to the financial situation of individual clients.
Training for investment officers on 'Due Dilligence for MFIs venturing into SME finance', prepared and delivered by Elza Herman, took place on October 13th 2017 in Addis Ababa, in the framework of the African Microfinance Week.
'The opportunity of clean, resilient business: training on green inclusive finance for MFIs', organised by the e-MFP Microfinance & Environment Action Group, prepared and delivered by Enclude BV, took place on October 9th 2017 in Addis Ababa, in the framework of the African Microfinance Week.
'Training on green inclusive finance for donors and investors' was held in Utrecht on 29th September, organised by the e-MFP Microfinance & Environment Action Group, prepared and delivered by Enclude BV and kindly hosted by NpM, Platform for Inclusive Finance.
European Microfinance Award 2016 - Microfinance and Access to Education: Investing in Tomorrow
Given the importance of the financial barriers in accessing quality education, microfinance can play an important role in supporting the education system in developing countries. The European Microfinance Award 2016 sought to ask and solicit practical answers to a number of questions, including:
European Microfinance Award 2016 - Microfinance and Access to Education
Given the importance of the financial barriers in accessing quality education, microfinance can play an important role in supporting the education system in developing countries. The European Microfinance Award 2016 sought to ask and solicit practical answers to a number of questions, including:
Guidelines On Outcomes Management For Investors: Guidelines for integrating outcomes management, analysis and reporting into the operations of inclusive finance investors, asset managers, and other funders.
By Lucia Spaggiari, MicroFinanza Rating in collaboration with the e-MFP Social Performance Outcomes Action Group, October 2016.
Rural Outreach & Innovation Action Group Talk Date: October 26, 2016 Presented by: Daniel Rozas
The Microfinance Index of Market Outreach and Saturation (MIMOSA) is an effort to fill an important gap in the sector by establishing a standard framework for measuring credit saturation. See also http://mimosaindex.org/
Check out the e-MFP Autumn 2016 Newsletter for an update on the 7th European Microfinance Award on Microfinance and Access to Education and the 3 Finalists chosen; See also what e-MFP members are doing to support access to education; Get the latest on European Microfinance Week, 16-18 November and the Story of Inclusive Banking by Hans Dieter Seibel. All the latest news and activities from e-MFP and its members completes the edition.
Rural Outreach & Innovation Action Group Talk Date: September 15, 2016 Presented by: Patricia Richter, Social Finance Programme, International Labour Organisation
See the e-MFP Summer 2016 Newsletter for the latest update on the 7th European Microfinance Award Microfinance and Access to Education; an article on Financing Access to Energy from e-MFP's Microfinance and Environment Action Group; reports on the recent CGAP annual meeting in Luxembourg, and the SPTF meeting in Morocco where the e-MFP Social Performance Outcomes Action Group met.
Rural Outreach & Innovation Action Group Talk Date: May 18, 2016 Presented by: Tyler Green, Project Coordinator, BFC
Value chain finance case studies from Georgia which includes descriptions of VCF tools along with challenges and solutions from recent experiences of implementing VCF.
Check out the e-MFP Spring 2016 Newsletter for details of the 7th European Microfinance Award Microfinance and Access to Education; an update from Oikocredit on their Client Outcomes Programme; an article from Craig Chelius, Mifos Initiative on Financial Inclusion 2.0; updates on our Action Groups and our latest publications. Plus all the latest news and activities from e-MFP and its members.
The first green training on 'Environmental management and MFIs' organised by the e-MFP Microfinance & Environment Action Group took place during European Microfinance Week 2015.
We’ve had a very active 6 months - with 10 new publications, participation in several of the sector’s top events, organisation of the 6th European Microfinance Award and the preparation of the European Microfinance Week 2015.
It's a great pleasure to start this newsletter with the announcement of the 6th European Microfinance Award which this year focuses on microfinance in post-disaster, post-conflict areas and fragile states.
5th European Microfinance Award - Microfinance and the Environment
This publication features the ten organisations and their projects which were shortlisted for the 2014 European Microfinance Award on Microfinance and the Environment.
The European Microfinance Week 2014 conference report is accessible online. Designed with a fresh new look and smart phone compatible, it contains the much appreciated discussions and exchanges from the conference which gathered 400 microfinance professionals from 56 countries in Luxembourg.
5th European Microfinance Award on Microfinance and the Environment
This brochure presents the winner (Kompanion Financial Group, Kyrgyzstan) and the two finalists (ESAF Microfinance and Investments, India and XacBank LLC, Mongolia) of the 2014 European Microfinance Award on 'Microfinance and the Environment'.
EUROPEAN MICROFINANCE WEEK 2014 - DIGITAL FINANCE: WHY DOES IT WORK IN KENYA AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR 7 AFRICAN COUNTRIES. RESULTS FROM AN EIB/UNCDF STUDY
EUROPEAN MICROFINANCE WEEK 2014 - INCREASING YOUTH ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH ACCESS TO FINANCE: HOW FAVOURABLE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENTS AND YOUTH FOCUSED SERVICES CAN SHAPE BETTER MARKETS
INCREASING YOUTH ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH ACCESS TO FINANCE: HOW FAVOURABLE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENTS AND YOUTH FOCUSED SERVICES CAN SHAPE BETTER MARKETS
Thanks to the tremendous response to the call for sessions and speakers for European Microfinance Week, e-MFP has put togther an inspiring programme which promises to stimulate lively debate and exchange.
e-MFP has been very busy over the last months, in particular working on the organisation of the 5th European Microfinance Award and on the preparation of the European Microfinance Week 2014.
It's a pleasure to start this newsletter with the announcement of the 5th European Microfinance Award on Microfinance and the Environment. This year the objective is to highlight opportunities for microfinance to improve environmental issues and encourage the industry to find innovative solutions for global environmental concerns in developing countries.
We look forward to another busy year in 2014 for e-MFP: Following the enthusiasm and dynamism of European Microfinance Week, we will continue to support our members in transforming this energy into concrete projects and actions.
The theme for European Microfinance Week 2012 was 'Combining strengths - delivering results'.
The extensive conference report contains summaries of the engaging presentations and discussions which took place during the extremely successful event.
European Microfinance Week 2012 - Supporting microfinance in the European Union : business models, impact assessment and lessons learned from EU initiatives
European Microfinance Week 2012 - Social entrepreneurs and social business enterprises : combining new strengths to improuve people's quality of life in developing
European Microfinance Week 2012 - Making microfinance investment responsible. Client protection and financial performance in microfinance : Win win or trade off
European Microfinance Week 2012 - Understanding the lives of the poorest : Findings from the CGAP-Ford Foundation Graduation Programme : qualitative and quantitativ
The theme for European Microfinance Week 2011 was 'Inclusive finance for excluded people: microfinance refocusing on the underserved, unserved and vulnerable'.
The extensive conference report contains summaries of the engaging presentations and discussions which took place during the extremely successful event.
To view the conference report click on the link below
European Microfinance Week 2011 - Luxembourg Round Table on Microfinance (LRTM) : A multi stakeholder national initiative for facilitation, stimulation and innovat
European Microfinance Week 2011 - The role of greater transparency in overcoming the current microfinance crisis and the reputational threat to the microfinance i
European Microfinance Week 2011 - Rural Outreach and Innovation e-MFP Action Group : Lessons learned from member based MFIs on governance and strategic alliances
European Microfinance Week 2011 - Opening plenary : The changing perception of microfinance and the need for global policy efforts related to financial inclusion
European Microfinance Week took place 2nd – 4th November in the Abbaye de Neumünster, Luxembourg.
The theme for this year’s event focussed on ‘Inclusive Finance for Excluded People – Microfinance refocusing on the underserved, unserved and vulnerable’ and gathered 373 microfinance professionals from 59 countries.
For the latest press release click on the link below.
European Microfinance Week 2010 is a unique event because the content is driven by e-MFP members. The themes and topics have been proposed by you, our members, so they reflect your current priorities and concerns about the microfinance sector.
The theme for European Microfinance Week 2009 was 'Microfinance in a new financial era'.
The extensive conference report contains summaries of the engaging presentations and discussions which took place during the extremely successful event.
4th European Microfinance Award - Microfinance for Food Security
In 2012, the 4th European Microfinance Award identified the issue of “Microfinance for Food Security” and focused on microfinance initiatives which contribute to improving the supply of safe and better quality food and distribution conditions in developing countries.
With the European Microfinance Week 2013 only some weeks away, the e-MFP Secretariat is currently very busy preparing the event which will take place 12th – 14th November in the Abbaye de Neumünster, Luxembourg.
The first half of 2013 has been particularly busy for e-MFP; with 10 new publications, participation in several of the sector’s top events and co-organization of the fantastic 3rd European Research Conference on Microfinance in Norway.
For this Spring Newsletter, I am happy to share a few words with you as the new Chairwoman of our European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP). I am following in the footsteps of Axel de Ville and Marc Bichler who I want to thank for their commitment in promoting and leading e-MFP during the last years.
It was a pleasure to meet so many of you at European Microfinance Week and to see that what started as a rather small conference in 2005, has developed over the years into such a major microfinance event. On page 1-4 we share highlights and report from some of the 24 sessions.
European Microfinance Week, 14th -16th November, is e-MFP’s annual event for its members and friends to come together, debate, share ideas, learn, network and - most importantly - look to the future of our sector.
Preparations for European Microfinance Week 2012 are well under way and we would like to thank all members who submitted proposals for sessions during our three day annual event. The proposals are currently being assessed and the Secretariat will follow up and keep you informed regarding your contribution.
The European Microfinance Award is organized jointly by the European MicrofinancePlatform, the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Directorate for Development Cooperation and the Luxembourg Round Table on Microfinance to promote microfinance initiatives and highlight their contribution to the development of the sector.
After a very decisive year during which the microfinance sector had to wake-up to certain realities, European Microfinance Week, e-MFP’s annual event for its members and friends, is the ideal place to come together, debate, share ideas, learn, network and - most importantly - look to the future of our sector.
Results of the survey conducted among the Action Group members according to the definition of tiers in microfinance. e-MFP Action Group of Investors in Tier 2/3 MFIs, November 2013.
Strengthening governance for responsible finance: examples from European investment funds. e-MFP Making Microfinance Investment Responsible (MIR) Action Group, October 2011.
Five years of microfinance partnership for the South - how it all began. The idea behind the Platform was to bring together European microfinance organisations that work in developing countries to share their ideas and experiences. The founding organisations shared the vision that microfinance should take an innovative and inclusive approach and that the e-MFP would represent the focal point of microfinance in Europe.
2022 has been a year of huge activity at e-MFP. Q1 marked two years since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, and over the course of the year there has been a gradual restoration of pre-2020 life - some in-person events, some return to offices - which is true for e-MFP and its members alike.
The e-MFP Green Inclusive and Climate Smart Finance Action Group (GICSF AG) has developed and implemented the Green Index since 2014.
State of the Art of Green Inclusive Finance 2011-2019
Categorie(s):
Prepared by the e-MFP Green Inclusive and Climate Smart Finance Action Group (GICSF-AG) under the coordination of the group co-heads: Davide Forcella (JuST Institute, CERMi) and Natalia Realpe Carrillo (HEDERA Sustainable Solutions GmbH), June 2023