BT Mic continues its partnership with EFSE to accelerate the financial inclusion of small companies

• Through the new loan from EFSE, BT Mic continues to facilitate the access to financing in RON of small companies.
• Entrepreneurs can apply online for funding, on the BT Mic website.
• Since the beginning of the pandemic, BT Mic has financed over 5,000 companies.
• BT Mic is currently working with over 13,000 small businesses in 3,000 localities.

The European Fund for South-Eastern Europe (EFSE) has granted a new loan of 10 million euros to BT Microfinance(BT Mic),part of the Banca Transilvania Financial Group. The financing will help BT Mic to continue facilitating the access to loans in ron of small companies. The two partners want to support the development of the world, especially given the context of the pandemic.

BT Mic and the European Fund for South-Eastern Europe have been partners since 2018, and together they have contributed to the development of over 1,200 companies. Beyond the financing area, EFSE and BT Mic have joined forces to support companies through the Start online by BT Mic acceleration program, launched in March a.c., which consisted of consulting for scaling the business in the digital environment. Thanks to it, 10 online businesses were launched in August .c.

"We are honored to continue the participation with BT Mic, which has so far shown our strong commitment to supporting companies, the backbone of the Romanian economy. Their health has a direct link to a robust economy, and the fact that this loan is in local currency assures entrepreneurs that they are protected from exchange rate volatility. Given BT Mic's leading position on the market, we are confident that our partnership will have a significant impact in terms of increasing financial inclusion and business development opportunities for entrepreneurs across the country," said Klaus Müller, President of the EFSE Council.

"Smallbusinesses are particularly vulnerable in the current economic context. Equally, new business opportunities appear, which entrepreneurs seek to capitalize on. For this reason, for BT Mic, their access to funding and counseling remains a priority. Together with EFSE, through this line of credit, we continue our commitment to supporting the responsible growth of local small businesses",says Cristina Sindile, General Manager, BT Mic.

Entrepreneurs can quickly apply for a loan, through the Raul chatbot from BT, which can be accessed on the BT Micwebsite, by phone, tablet or computer.

BT Mic is the largest microfinance company in Romania, which completes Transilvania Bank's role of supporting entrepreneurs, regardless of the size of the business. Since 2016 until now, BT Mic has been part of the story of over 16,000 microbusinesses with over 45,000 employees in 3,000 localities and has contributed to increasing the scale of microfinance among young companies.

Despite the challenges brought by the pandemic, BT Mic has financed since March 2020 over 5,000 small companies and has kept the maximum financing deadlines, the amounts and guarantees flexible, but also the 4-day response time for customers who have applied for a loan.

Banca Transilvania Financial Group | BT Mic

About BT Mic: BT Mic is one of the companies of the Banca Transilvania Financial Group, which addresses companies with an annual turnover of up to 1 million lei, in all fields of activity. So far, BT Mic has supported over 16,000 small businesses to grow. The company offers more than just financing, by promoting customers on the BT Mic Blog, thelatest initiatives being Start online by BT Mic,and I am a customer of BT Mic and Buy from a small business. www.btmic.ro

About EFSE: The European Fund for South-Eastern Europe (EFSE), an impactful investment fund established in 2005, aims to encourage economic development and prosperity in south-eastern Europe and the eastern borderline region through investments in the success of micro and small enterprises, as well as in improving living conditions for private enterprises. As access to financial services is essential for the development of this segment, EFSE focuses on helping local financial sectors strengthen their capacity to provide responsible financing for this target group. In addition to its investment activities through local partners, EFSE multiplies its impact through the EFSE Development Facility, which provides technical assistance, training and other non-financial support to entrepreneurs and its partner institutions. EFSE was initiated by the KfW Development Bank with the financial support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ) and the European Commission. Being the first public-private partnership of its kind, EFSE attracts its capital from donor agencies, international financial institutions and private institutional investors. Finance in Motion GmbH, Germany, is the advisor to EFSE, and Hauck & Aufhäuser Fund Services S.A., Luxembourg, acts as administrator. For more information about the European Fund for South-Eastern Europe, please visit: www.efse.lu. For more information about Finance in Motion, please visit: www.finance-in-motion.com"