On 24 November 2014 Center-invest Bank received RUB400m as the second tranche of a three-year RUB800m loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The funds will be used to finance SME projects in southern Russia.

Center-invest Bank and the EBRD have worked together since 2002 under long-term partnership programmes to support and develop SMEs in Russia. During this time, the EBRD has provided Center-invest Bank with over USD200m in loan funds, as well as advice on developing new financial products relating to energy efficiency, loans for businesswomen and trade finance.

“Our partnership with the EBRD provides not only finance for projects in southern Russia, but also access to best international practice in the banking business,” said Sergei Smirnov, member of Center-invest Bank’s Executive Board. “We are delighted that we can offer our customers a quality service, an individual approach, and low loan interest rates.”

Center-invest Bank ranks in the top 10 Russian banks by volume of SME lending, and it is the leader for energy efficiency investments in southern Russia. Supporting and developing entrepreneurship in southern Russia is one of Center-invest Bank’s priorities under its new Strategy for 2014-2017 “The Global Competitiveness of Center-invest Bank’s Customers”.

Center-invest Bank is one of the 100 largest banks in Russia. We have had a Ba3 global rating from Moody’s, outlook stable, for eight years now. This rating was upheld in September 2014.

In the Rostov region, Center-invest Bank accounts for more than 40% of all long-term loans made to SMEs for investment purposes. The bank participates successfully in programmes run by the Loan Guarantee Funds of the Rostov and Volgograd regions, Krasnodar Krai and Stavropol Krai.