ASTANA, Kazakhstan, October 2. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will provide a loan of up to $7 million (6 million euro) to Kazakh microlender Arnur Credit to support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), Trend reports via the bank.
The funding is part of the EBRD’s Youth in Business (YiB) programme for Central Asia and will target young entrepreneurs across Kazakhstan. This marks the second YiB loan extended to Arnur Credit, aimed at boosting youth employment and entrepreneurship.
Alongside capital infusion, qualifying small enterprises will gain entry to a suite of capacity-building initiatives, consultative frameworks, and synergistic networking avenues via the EBRD’s Advice for Small Businesses program. At the outset of this calendar year, Arnur Credit synergized with the banking institution to deliver a comprehensive YiB-driven training module for a cohort of 65 emerging entrepreneurs across the regions of Shymkent, Turkestan, and Almaty.
The EBRD has been active in Kazakhstan since 1992, focusing on enhancing private-sector competitiveness, improving connectivity, and strengthening economic governance. The bank also supports Kazakhstan’s transition to a green economy, promoting carbon neutrality and climate resilience, while encouraging economic inclusion and gender equality through increased private-sector participation. To date, the EBRD has invested more than 10 billion euro across 340 projects in the country, with the bulk of funding directed toward private sector development.