Center-invest Bank is in 8th place in the ranking “The Leading Banks in Russia’s SME Lending Market in 2012”, compiled by RosBusinessConsulting (www.rbc.ru). In 2012, Center-invest Bank lent SMEs a total of RUB63bn.

Center-invest Bank, headquartered in Rostov-on-Don, has run programmes to support SMEs in southern Russia since 1997. Over this time, it has built up extensive experience of working with the SME sector, and today it is recognised as the best Russian regional bank.

At 1 April 2013, the value of Center-invest Bank’s SME loan portfolio was RUB25.2bn. This was an increase of RUB3.8bn since the beginning of the year (+18%).

The bank also still has a leading position in the Rostov region’s SME lending market: in 2012, it made 4,458 loans for a total of RUB26bn.

Center-invest Bank accounts for more than 25% of all long-term loans made to SMEs in the Rostov region for investment purposes. The bank is successfully participating in programmes run by the Loan Guarantee Funds of the Rostov and Volgograd regions, Krasnodar Krai and Stavropol Krai.

Entrepreneurs in southern Russia seeking finance to start up or grow a business will find that Center-invest Bank offers the best terms. The bank runs special programmes to support new entrepreneurs: “Start Up, Don” and “Youth Business Russia”. Already, 140 entrepreneurs have started up their own companies thanks to loans from Center-invest Bank.

As well as affordable finance, the bank also provides entrepreneurs with business advisory support. Advice Centres based in Center-invest Bank branches in Rostov, Taganrog, Shakhty and Volgodonsk offer free of charge advice.

Center-invest Bank has financed an advice hotline for SMEs for more than six years now. This service provides free legal consultations for businesses in the Rostov region (telephone no. (863) 262-35-15).

As a market leader in energy efficiency lending and SME lending, Center-invest Bank provides finance to enable companies to modernise and introduce new technologies. The bank also runs educational programmes for the local population, businesses, students and schoolchildren. These programmes are an important component of its sustainable banking business model.

As part of its Enterprise for All programme, Center-invest Bank has created an online training platform: www.school.centrinvest.ru. This resource provides access to knowledge about the latest thinking on entrepreneurship. Anyone can register for the distance learning courses, and, upon passing a final test, they will receive a certificate.