Meet our Partners

Here is who made the conference possible
About BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas is the European Union’s leading bank and key player in international banking. It operates in 65 countries and has nearly 185,000 employees, including more than 145,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main fields of activity: Commercial, Personal Banking & Services for the Group’s commercial & personal banking and several specialised businesses. 

Based on its strong diversified and integrated model, the Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realise their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance.

In Europe, BNP Paribas has four domestic markets: Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg. 

BNP Paribas has implemented a Corporate Social Responsibility approach in all its activities, enabling it to contribute to the construction of a sustainable future, while ensuring the Group’s performance and stability. 

BNP Paribas has historically supported the microfinance sector with the strong ambition, building and promoting a more inclusive economy. For more than 30 years, BNP Paribas has been involved in inclusive finance, through the financing of 85 Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) in 34 countries, for a cumulative amount of EUR 1.2 billion. 

About Adie

Created 35 years ago by Maria Nowak, Adie is a French non-for-profit organisation recognized of public utility. Chaired by Frédéric Lavenir, Adie is the first micro-credit institution in France and the largest in Western Europe. Adie holds the European Microfinance Network’s presidency since 2022.

Adie believes that anyone can be an entrepreneur, even without financial capital or diploma, if (s)he has access to micro-credit and receives bespoke business development support based on mutual trust, solidarity and responsibility.

Each year Adie finances and supports more than 25 000 entrepreneurs to create their own business, through its network of 187 branches and the expertise of its 800 employees and 1200 volunteers.

Adie’s missions are structured around four main pillars:

To finance all those who want to become entrepreneurs but don’t have the necessary capital

To advise entrepreneurs before, during and after the creation of their business in order to ensure their development and sustainability

To advocate for legal and institutional environment more suitable to, microfinance and self-employment

To contribute to the development of microfinance outside France, through advocacy actions, cooperation with peer foreign microfinance institutions and technical assistance to microfinance stakeholders.

In order to fulfil its mission Adie implements numerous innovative approaches in France such as the following examples:

Beneficiaries entrepreneurs receive technical assistance and get access to a blended finance (grant & microcredit) offer in order to adopt cargo-bicycles means of transportation in their operational & financial model. This program is implemented in partnership with “Ma Cycloentreprise” and co-financed by ENI group and the French Ministry of Ecological and and Inclusive transition. Since its creation in 2020, 280 people has already benefited from this offer.

Women entrepreneurs empowerment in order to help them overcome their challenges: web conferences, awareness raising campaigns, mentoring programs. This program is co-financed by J.P. Morgan

Abroad, Adie supports its partners on various topics:

In Italy and Spain: Design of a solidary leasing offer coupled with a microcredit, which addresses job seekers and entrepreneurs’ mobility issues – in partnership with Permicro (Italy), Treball Solidari (Spain) and Renault . In France 756 people already benefited from this offer since its launch

In Lebanon: Support to Al Majmoua and FTL, in order to provide bespoke financial and technical support Lebanese micro-entrepreneurs and cooperatives engaged in a sustainable agricultural model – in partnership with AFD

In Romania: Training on business microcredit appraisal methodology and tools amendment proposals, addressed to employees of the savings and credit unions affiliated with the regional union ASCAR

In The Comoros: Strategic support and operational strengthening of the two main credit & savings unions of the Archipelago, to the benefit of the Comorian productive sector – In partnership with Horus Development and AFD