Funding to boost SME competitiveness and accelerate Albania’s green transition.
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Funding to boost SME competitiveness and accelerate Albania’s green transition.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is lending up to €10 million to ProCredit Bank Albania (ProCredit) under the new Western Balkans Green Outcomes-Linked Debt Financing Framework (WB GOLD). The financing is aimed at strengthening access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and midcaps in Albania.
At least 50 per cent of the funds will be dedicated to projects eligible under the EBRD’s Green Economy Transition (GET) approach, supporting Albanian businesses in adopting energy-efficient technologies, renewable energy solutions, and other environmentally sustainable practices.
The WB GOLD programme is designed to strengthen SME competitiveness by expanding access to finance and encouraging innovation in business strategies, products and processes. It is an innovative green finance instrument that introduces outcome-based incentives to stimulate the financial sector to increase green financing.
It supports the green transition by scaling up investments in GET-eligible technologies in the Western Balkans, helping to build low-carbon and climate-resilient economies across the region. This is the first WB GOLD transaction in Albania and the second overall under the programme.
Charlotte Ruhe, EBRD Managing Director for Central and South-Eastern Europe, said: “We are pleased to launch the WB GOLD programme in Albania through this partnership with ProCredit. This financing will help Albanian businesses to invest in greener and more efficient technologies, enhancing their competitiveness while contributing to the country’s sustainable development.”
Mirsad Haliti – CEO of ProCredit Bank Albania emphasised: “At ProCredit, we see the WB GOLD programme as a catalyst for a new era of sustainable entrepreneurship in Albania. By unlocking access to green finance and rewarding innovation, we’re not just supporting businesses — we’re empowering them to lead the transition toward a low-carbon, competitive economy. This partnership reaffirms our long-standing commitment to responsible banking and to shaping a more sustainable future for the Western Balkans.”
ProCredit, a subsidiary of ProCredit Holding, is an SME-oriented bank in Albania with particular expertise in supporting SMEs and promoting investments in green and energy-efficient technologies. It is a longstanding EBRD client and it has successfully implemented several of the Bank’s credit lines.
Since the start of its operations in Albania in 1991, the EBRD has invested more than €2.3 billion in 168 projects, with a strong focus on supporting private sector competitiveness, sustainable infrastructure, and the green transition.