Entrepreneur Financial Center (CFE): Equity investment to support microfinance in Tunisia

CFE (Financial Center for Entrepreneurs) Tunisia was set up in 2015 and is a microfinance institution specialized in a range of financial products and services for microenterprises and SMEs (1 to 10 employees).

By financing one of the first microfinance institutions to have been authorized to operate in Tunisia, the project will contribute to maintaining some 15,000 local jobs. The activity mainly aims to support SMEs, microenterprises and housing. Special attention is being paid to loans allocated to women entrepreneurs, who are still too often excluded from financial systems, and young entrepreneurs. CFE contributes to helping these companies make the transition from the informal sector to the formal sector and to their financial inclusion by eventually making them eligible for bank financing.

The client has received technical assistance through an expert directly recruited by Proparco for capacity building on the issue of client protection (and to obtain an official certification) for an amount equivalent to EUR 17,000.

By financing one of the first microfinance institutions to have been authorized to operate in Tunisia, the project will contribute to maintaining some 15,000 local jobs. The activity mainly aims to support SMEs, microenterprises and housing. Special attention is being paid to loans allocated to women entrepreneurs, who are still too often excluded from financial systems, and young entrepreneurs. CFE contributes to helping these companies make the transition from the informal sector to the formal sector and to their financial inclusion by eventually making them eligible for bank financing.