Tag Archives: financial inclusion

New Experian Credit Score brings clearer lender-aligned insights and more ways to build credit health

(IN BRIEF) Experian UK&I is launching a revamped Experian Credit Score to better align with modern lending practices and give consumers clearer, more actionable insight. The score range expands from 0–999 to 0–1250, and the model brings in additional positive … Read the full press release

EIB Global and Central Bank of Armenia Launch €100 Million Facility to Support SMEs, Women Entrepreneurs and Green Projects

(IN BRIEF) The European Investment Bank (EIB Global) has partnered with the Central Bank of Armenia to launch a €100 million loan programme to boost financing for MSMEs and mid-caps, with a strong focus on regional, women-led, and green projects. … Read the full press release

EU-Backed EBRD Loans Boost Green and Competitive Growth for Moldova’s maib, Victoriabank, and Eximbank

(IN BRIEF) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), in partnership with the European Union, is extending €22.5 million in new loans to three Moldovan banks — maib, Victoriabank, and Eximbank — under the EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line to boost … Read the full press release

FCA Unveils Smart Data Accelerator and Two Open Finance TechSprints to Boost Financial Innovation and Inclusion

(IN BRIEF) The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched the Smart Data Accelerator, in collaboration with Raidiam, alongside two new TechSprints aimed at advancing open finance innovation in the UK. Building on the success of open banking, these initiatives will … Read the full press release

EBRD Launches €10 Million Initiative to Support Sustainable Growth in Albania’s SME Sector

(IN BRIEF) The EBRD has launched a €10 million financial package for Tirana Bank, including a €5 million SME Reboot loan to help Albanian SMEs invest in green technologies and a €5 million trade finance facility to expand the bank’s … Read the full press release

Garanti BBVA moves sustainability financing online after surpassing TRY 400 billion target, sets new goal of TRY 3.5 trillion

(IN BRIEF) Garanti BBVA has digitalized its sustainability loans, moving the product from branch-only access to online and mobile platforms. Customers in Türkiye can now apply digitally for financing that supports green initiatives such as decarbonization, energy efficiency, sustainable agriculture, … Read the full press release

Experian ranks 6th in 2025 IDC FinTech Rankings, securing top-10 position globally for the fourth year in a row

(IN BRIEF) Experian has been ranked 6th in the 2025 IDC FinTech Rankings: Top 100, moving up one position from last year and remaining in the global top 10 for the fourth year in a row. The recognition highlights Experian’s … Read the full press release

Afin Bank adopts Wolters Kluwer’s OneSumX platform to deliver compliance and scalability in the UK market

(IN BRIEF) Afin Bank has gone live with Wolters Kluwer’s OneSumX for Regulatory Reporting, enabling efficient and accurate submissions for COREP, FINREP, BEEDS, and PRA 110. The modular SaaS platform will expand in future phases to cover liquidity risk, IRRBB, … Read the full press release

Sasha Wiggins to Lead UK Retail Investment Drive as Barclays Research Highlights £430 Billion in Untapped Savings

(IN BRIEF) Barclays’ Chief Executive of Private Bank and Wealth Management, Sasha Wiggins, has been named Chair of the UK’s new multi-year retail investment campaign, launched under the Leeds Reforms to boost retail investing and make the UK a top … Read the full press release

FMO Secures Landmark €130 Million Loan to Propel QNB Leasing’s Green and Inclusive SME Financing in Türkiye

(IN BRIEF) FMO has arranged and led a €130 million syndicated A/B term loan to QNB Leasing—one of the largest syndications for a Turkish non-bank financial institution—bringing in CDP as a parallel lender and several B-loan investors (ResponsAbility, Global Climate … Read the full press release

BBVA Channels €63 Billion into Green and Social Finance in H1 2025, Sets New Q2 Record

(IN BRIEF) In H1 2025, BBVA allocated around €63 billion to sustainability initiatives—a 48 percent rise year-on-year—including a record €30 billion in Q2 alone. Climate change and natural-capital projects accounted for 76 percent of the total, with social-impact ventures making … Read the full press release

SIX and Pictet Complete Switzerland’s First Regulated Fractional Tokenization of Corporate Bonds

(IN BRIEF) SIX and Banque Pictet & Cie SA have completed a pilot project tokenizing EUR- and CHF-denominated corporate bonds on the SDX platform, then allocating fractional bond holdings to Pictet Asset Management SA portfolios via their custody bank accounts. … Read the full press release

Lloyds Banking Group and Foundations Launch £4.2 Million Fund to Boost Financial Resilience Through UK Charities

(IN BRIEF) Lloyds Banking Group and its four charitable Foundations have introduced a £4.2 million Financial Resilience fund to reinforce UK charities supporting financially vulnerable individuals. Research shows 4.3 million people turned to charities for help in the last three … Read the full press release

BBVA Mobilizes €27 Billion for Sustainable Development in Emerging Markets at FFD4

(IN BRIEF) At FFD4 in Seville, BBVA announced it had allocated €27 billion in 2024 to sustainable infrastructure, climate action, entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion in Mexico, South America, and Turkey—up 60 percent from 2023—while its Microfinance Foundation provided €1.5 billion … Read the full press release

EuroPA and EPI Join Forces to Deliver Instant Pan-European Payments Across 15 Countries

(IN BRIEF) EuroPA and EPI have joined forces to explore a rapid interoperability solution that enables Europeans to conduct instant, cross-border payments using their existing mobile-wallet and digital-pay platforms. The study, covering person-to-person and commercial payments both online and at … Read the full press release

Experian Powers OakbrookOne to Extend Fairer Debt Consolidation Loans to Previously Declined Borrowers

(IN BRIEF) Experian has enabled the launch of OakbrookOne in collaboration with Oakbrook, leveraging its ReFi™ technology to provide a streamlined debt-consolidation loan that delivers rapid approvals and same-day funding for over 40 percent of borrowers. Since late 2024, the … Read the full press release

Lloyds and Mercore Pioneering Digital Trade Finance with Landmark Secondary Market Transactions

(IN BRIEF) Lloyds and Mercore have completed a series of landmark digital transactions involving the secondary participation in a digital bill of exchange (DBE), unlocking faster and more liquid trade processes. This innovative solution, powered by Enigio’s trace:original platform, streamlines … Read the full press release

EBRD Clears Path for First-Ever Expansion into Sub-Saharan Africa and Iraq

(IN BRIEF) The EBRD has secured the necessary shareholder approval to amend its statutes and expand operations into select sub-Saharan African countries and Iraq. This move, set to take effect in three months, follows the approval of the amendment by … Read the full press release

Data and Tech Lead the Way for British Businesses Amid Economic Challenges

(IN BRIEF) New research released during Credit Awareness Week reveals that British businesses face significant challenges from rising costs and economic uncertainty, with many turning to data and technology to enhance customer experience, streamline operations, and drive financial inclusion. The … Read the full press release

EIB Group Bolsters Croatian Business Financing with €132 Million Guarantee Package

(IN BRIEF) The EIB Group has provided a €132 million guarantee package to Croatia-based Erste&Steiermärkische Bank d.d. to expand its lending to Croatian Mid-Caps, micro-entrepreneurs, and social enterprises. The package includes a €100 million guarantee from the EIB and €32 … Read the full press release