ACP/EU MICROFINANCE II (2010-2014)
At the time when ACP/EU MICROFINANCE is launched in 2010, the socio-economic development panorama has dramatically been modified, due to the economic crisis of 2009 and the growth crisis of microfinance. Meanwhile, the European Commission and ACP Group of States continued their efforts to strengthen the microfinance sector and provide financial services adapted to the poor in African, Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) countries.
Description
ACP/EU MICROFINANCE is a four years programme (January 2010 – December 2014) with a € 15 million budget funded by the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) 
[2 MB] . It is implemented by the Secretariat of the ACP Group of States (http://www.apcsec.org).
Objectives
The overall objective of the Programme is to contribute to poverty alleviation through economic growth facilitated by the development of inclusive financial systems adapted to the needs of the poor in ACP countries. The programme aims at reaching:
- Pro-poor access to finance through new delivery models aimed at the very poor and vulnerable communities.
- Consumer empowerment of ACP microfinance clients and capacity building of MFIs by improving transparency on their financial and social performance.
- Equitable and efficient local markets.
Actions
Partnerships
As initiated with the first programme in order to reach its objectives, ACP/EU MICROFINANCE supports the actions of several International Organisations.
On a global level, ACP/EU MICROFINANCE supports:
- The efficiency and transparency of local markets, thanks to a partnership with the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP)
- Training of ACP microfinance policymakers (Boulder Microfinance Training) and microfinance practitioners (Making Finance Work) through a partnership with the International Training Center of the International Labour Organisation (ITC ILO).
On a regional level, the programme supports:
- The MSME investment fund for Sub-Saharan Africa (REGMIFA), though a partnership with KfW
- The Carib-Cap programme for the development of microfinance in the Caribbean, with the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
- The Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme (PFIP) in the Pacific, with UNDP UNCDF.
Grants
A call for proposals launched in June 2011 grants institutions that support the responsible offer and delivery of financial services to those still excluded from mainstream access to proper financial services.
More about ACP/EU MICROFINANCE’s Call for Proposals
Coordination
A technical assistance team was established following a Call for tender . It is based in Brussels and consists of a Programme coordinator and a communications manager who provide their support and expertise to the Task managers at European Commission Directorate General for Cooperation and Development -Europe Aid and the ACP Secretariat.