The vast majority of firms in Europe are micro firms. Still, we know little about their financing patterns. Our paper aims to close this gap. Based on a large European firm-level data set, we find that micro firms differ in their financing patterns from small and medium-sized companies. Our...

In November 2009, EIF issued a working paper on the European microfinance market. In this study, we found that there are wide spectra of final beneficiaries and intermediaries and concluded that there is no common microfinance business model in Europe. While our findings suggested that the...

Securitisation has, after a period of significant growth throughout the last 10-15 years, become the finance area which has fallen the most from its peak – both in terms of new volumes as well as its image as an innovative and efficient financing tool. While market insiders, including...

This study investigates the effects of microcredit in the European market. Based on the review of relevant literature and recent surveys, this research explores the general meaning of microcredit before addressing the European SME landscape with a special focus on micro enterprises and...