EIB Institute-Backed FIN.e Alliance Calls for Broader Financial Education Access and Plans Network of More Than 4,000 Practitioners by 2028

EIB Institute-Backed FIN.e Alliance Calls for Broader Financial Education Access and Plans Network of More Than 4,000 Practitioners by 2028

(IN BRIEF) The EIB Institute-supported European Alliance of Financial Education Practitioners (FIN.e) has adopted the Alpbach Statement on Financial Education at the European Forum Alpbach, calling for wider access to high-quality financial education and a stronger connection between European policymaking and practitioners working directly with learners, schools, families and communities. The initiative comes as only 18% of EU citizens are considered to have a high level of financial literacy, despite increasingly complex decisions around savings, investing, retirement and digital financial services and the EU’s efforts to mobilise private investment through the Savings and Investments Union. The statement identifies four priorities: incorporating practitioner evidence into policy discussions, sharing successful educational approaches and tools across borders, strengthening practitioner cooperation and capacity, and improving access for underserved groups. The first FIN.e Practitioner Lab brought together ten organisations from nine EU Member States, while the Alliance plans to grow to at least 27 organisations and more than 4,000 financial educators by the end of 2028. FIN.e is implemented by the EIB Institute, ActionAid Hellas and Aflatoun International and aims to build a Europe-wide practitioner community capable of improving both the reach and quality of financial education.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 4-Sep-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Alliance of Financial Education Practitioners (FIN.e) has called for broader access to high-quality financial education across Europe, adopting a new statement at the European Forum Alpbach that seeks to strengthen the connection between financial education policy and the experience of practitioners working directly with learners and communities.

Supported by the EIB Institute, part of the European Investment Bank Group, the initiative brings together financial education practitioners, policymakers, experts, foundations and financial-sector representatives to improve the reach, effectiveness and practical relevance of financial literacy programmes.

The Alliance’s Advisory Board adopted the Alpbach Statement on Financial Education, setting out four priorities for future action: bringing practitioner evidence into policymaking, sharing effective educational approaches and tools across national borders, strengthening cooperation and capacity among practitioners, and expanding access to quality financial education, particularly for underserved groups.

By the end of 2028, FIN.e aims to bring together at least 27 organisations and more than 4,000 financial education practitioners across Europe.

Financial literacy remains a significant challenge across the EU

The initiative comes as Europeans face increasingly complex decisions involving savings, investments, retirement planning and digital financial services.

According to the latest European Commission study cited by the EIB, only 18% of EU citizens have a high level of financial literacy.

At the same time, the European Union is seeking to mobilise more private capital through its Savings and Investments Union, increasing the importance of giving citizens the knowledge and confidence required to understand financial products, assess risk and make informed decisions.

Marko Primorac, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank, said financial education extends beyond understanding individual financial products and should equip people with the confidence and skills needed to navigate an increasingly complex economic environment.

He said stronger financial capability is particularly important as Europe seeks to advance the Savings and Investments Union and strengthen economic resilience.

Primorac added that FIN.e provides a stronger voice for practitioners who work directly with learners and communities and can therefore bring practical experience into European policy discussions.

First Practitioner Lab brings together organisations from nine EU countries

The first FIN.e Practitioner Lab brought together ten organisations from Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.

Participants work directly with schools, learners, families and communities and used the gathering to exchange practical experience, identify shared challenges and discuss educational approaches that could be adapted and replicated across Europe.

The Alliance aims to create stronger mechanisms for transferring this frontline experience into national and European policy development.

FIN.e will establish thematic working groups, expand peer-learning and capacity-building activities and provide opportunities for participating organisations to share tools, methodologies and evidence on what works in financial education.

Alpbach Statement sets four priorities for financial education

The Alpbach Statement establishes four areas of focus for the Alliance.

The first is to ensure that practitioner evidence and practical experience are represented more effectively in policy discussions, allowing policymakers to draw on lessons from programmes delivered directly to citizens.

The second is to facilitate cross-border sharing of high-quality financial education approaches and teaching tools, helping proven methods reach a wider audience.

The Alliance will also work to strengthen cooperation and professional capacity among financial education practitioners across Europe.

Finally, FIN.e will seek to increase access to effective financial education, particularly for individuals and communities that are currently underserved.

Together, these priorities are designed to bridge the gap between financial education policy and implementation.

Alliance seeks to build cross-border practitioner community

FIN.e is being implemented through a partnership between the EIB Institute, ActionAid Hellas and Aflatoun International, with funding provided by the EIB Institute.

The partnership aims to create a cross-border network capable of identifying successful educational practices, building practitioner expertise and increasing the quality and availability of financial education programmes.

By 2028, the Alliance plans to expand from the ten organisations involved in its first Practitioner Lab to at least 27 participating organisations.

Its target of more than 4,000 practitioners is intended to establish a substantial European community capable of exchanging practical knowledge and extending effective financial education to more learners.

Practitioner experience to inform European financial education policy

The wider objective of the Alliance is to ensure that financial education policies are informed by those with direct experience of delivering programmes.

Practitioners working with schools, families and local communities can provide evidence about how different educational approaches perform in practice, including which groups are hardest to reach and which tools are most effective in improving financial capabilities.

By creating formal channels between practitioners and policymakers, FIN.e aims to make that experience more influential in the development of national and European financial literacy strategies.

The initiative also seeks to support a more financially capable European population at a time when individuals are increasingly expected to make long-term decisions involving investments, pensions, savings and rapidly evolving digital financial services.

EIB Group  

The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group is the financing arm of the European Union, owned by the 27 Member States, and one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion in new financing and advisory services for over 870 high-impact projects under eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, territorial cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, strong global partnerships and the savings and investments union. Beyond long-term loans for large infrastructure, the EIB Group crowds in private investment for high-risk innovative projects and businesses, with a growing role in Europe’s markets for venture debt, venture capital, guarantees and securitisations.

The European Investment Bank Institute was established by the European Investment Bank Group to promote social, educational and research initiatives that advance European public-interest objectives.

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is the subsidiary of the EIB Group specialised in providing guarantees, securitisation and equity to improve access to finance for small and medium-sized businesses and startups across Europe. Acting as an anchor investor, through its extensive network of partnering banks and investment funds, the EIF mobilises private investment and nurtures the ecosystem of venture capital funds to support innovative European entrepreneurs.

With the support of all 27 EU governments, the EIF has joined forces with institutional investors in a pan-European alliance to mobilise up to €80 billion for investment into innovative companies scaling up to become global leaders. The joint effort will expand the size and scope of the highly successful European Tech Champions Initiative, which has helped create 15 European mega-funds and scale 45 companies, including 12 unicorns, since being established three years ago.

Photos of the EIB Group’s representatives and headquarters, logo files and video B-roll for media use are available here.

Media Contact:

Clara Wanjek-Bauer
c.wanjek-bauer@ext.eib.org
+352 4379 – 79529

Press Office

+352 43791

SOURCE: European Investment Bank