EBRD Loans $4.4 M to KEP Trust for MSMEs in Kosovo with Focus on Rural, Women-led MSMEs

KEP Trust, a microfinance institution based in Kosovo, recently agreed to borrow up to EUR 4 million ($4.4 million) from the multilateral European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). KEP Trust plans to on-lend the proceeds of the senior, unsecured loan to micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

Founded in 1999 as the Kosovo Enterprise Program, the microfinance institution has 31 branches from which it lends to MSMEs, agricultural projects and individuals. It also sponsors AgroPortal, a website that provides data, job listings and other information to farmers. As of 2022, KEP Trust reported a gross loan portfolio of EUR 72 million ($79 million), having generated return on assets of 4.8 percent and return on equity of 14 percent during the year. As of August 2023, the microlender has 28,000 active clients.