Almelo/Paris, July 27th, 2018 – Qredits Microfinanciering Nederland and The Council of Europe Bank (CEB) have signed a loan agreement of EUR 16,6 million. This enables Qredits to continue to grow her microfinance activities in The Netherlands and in the Dutch Caribbean.
Qredits has provided Microfinance in the Netherlands since 2009. The portfolio has now grown to 12,000 loans and the number of applications is still increasing. To finance this, Qredits strives for a broad funding base with financiers who want to contribute to the social mission of Qredits. The CEB is an extremely valuable addition to the current financiers like banks, insurance companies and the government. The new loan agreement of € 16,6 million will enable Qredits to support almost 1.000 entrepreneurs with a loan and mentoring!
The Council of Europe Bank is continuously on the lookout for projects in its member states with big social impact. Microfinance is a new sector in the portfolio of CEB and completely aligns with the Bank’s mission. This new loan agreement with Qredits contributes to the social objectives of CEB since Qredits realizes job creation by supporting starting entrepreneurs which in turn results in a lower demand for social government benefits.
Elwin Groenevelt, CEO Qredits: "The Council of Europe Bank is the ideal partner for us in view of its strong social mission. It is great that one of the largest social development banks in Europe is interested in the microfinance sector. We are convinced that with this loan we have started a long period of cooperation."
CEB Governor Rolf Wenzel expressed his satisfaction with the project approved and said: 'Facilitating access to financing for micro, small and medium-sized businesses is one of the CEB’s main lines of action. I am very pleased that entrepreneurs with plans to start a micro-business will benefit from this CEB loan, especially since the beneficiaries include vulnerable people such as migrants and unemployed persons.'
