Maib Gains EBRD Portfolio Risk-Sharing Support to Increase Lending Capacity for Moldovan Enterprises

Maib Gains EBRD Portfolio Risk-Sharing Support to Increase Lending Capacity for Moldovan Enterprises

(IN BRIEF) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is providing a new portfolio risk-sharing facility of up to €25 million to maib, Moldova’s largest bank, to support expanded lending to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. The unfunded guarantee is expected to unlock up to €50 million in new MSME financing by allowing maib to share credit risk with the EBRD on newly originated loans. The facility builds on a successful pilot transaction in 2024 and is designed to help the bank increase lending while optimising capital use under evolving regulatory requirements. Supported by first-loss risk coverage from the European Union’s European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus Financial Inclusion programme, the project will help address gaps in access to finance for underserved businesses, including women-led and youth-led enterprises and companies outside Chisinau. The operation also aims to strengthen maib’s resilience by diversifying its portfolio and reducing credit-risk exposure, while supporting a more inclusive and competitive financial sector in Moldova. The initiative aligns with the EBRD’s Moldova strategy for 2023-2028 and builds on a long-standing partnership with maib dating back to 1995.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 4-Jun-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is expanding its support for Moldova’s private sector through a new portfolio risk-sharing facility of up to €25 million for maib, the country’s largest bank.

The unfunded guarantee is expected to unlock up to €50 million in new lending for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises across Moldova. The facility is designed to help maib increase financing to smaller businesses while managing credit risk and using capital more efficiently under changing regulatory conditions.

The agreement was signed in Chisinau during the EU-Moldova Investment Conference by Arvid Tuerkner, the EBRD’s Managing Director for Ukraine and Moldova. It follows the success of an initial portfolio risk-sharing transaction with maib in 2024 and expands the cooperation between the two institutions in support of MSME lending and private-sector development.

Through the new structure, the EBRD will share credit risk on newly issued loans to MSMEs. This will allow maib to release capital that would otherwise be held against potential credit losses, enabling the bank to extend additional financing to businesses without weakening its regulatory capital position. The approach is intended to strengthen lending capacity while supporting prudent risk management.

The facility is backed by first-loss risk coverage from the European Union’s European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus Financial Inclusion programme. EFSD+ supports sustainable investment in EU partner countries and helps financial institutions address market gaps by expanding lending through their own balance sheets while managing risk more effectively.

The project is expected to improve access to finance for businesses that remain underserved by the financial system. This includes women-led and youth-led enterprises, as well as companies operating in regions outside Chisinau, where access to formal credit can be more limited. By widening the reach of MSME finance, the facility aims to support entrepreneurship, job creation and broader economic activity across Moldova.

The risk-sharing arrangement is also expected to support maib’s institutional resilience by helping diversify its loan portfolio and reduce exposure to credit risk. In turn, the operation contributes to a more competitive and stable banking sector, strengthening the financial system’s ability to support private businesses during periods of economic uncertainty.

Maib has been a partner of the EBRD since 1995, with cooperation covering trade finance, credit lines and equity investment. In 2018, the EBRD joined a consortium of international investors to help strengthen maib’s ownership structure. Since 2019, the two institutions have continued to expand their collaboration through several financing programmes focused on business lending and financial-sector development.

The operation supports the EBRD’s Strategy for Moldova 2023-2028 and its wider Financial Sector Strategy. By helping local banks increase MSME lending, improve capital efficiency and strengthen risk management, the EBRD is continuing its work to promote a more inclusive, resilient and competitive financial system in Moldova.

Over more than three decades of activity in the country, the EBRD has invested more than €3 billion in Moldova across 199 projects.

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SOURCE: EBRD