About the Environmental Business Finance Program

The Environmental Business Finance Program (EBFP) is a funding facility that aims to create a sustainable market of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that benefit the global environment (Target SMEs).

The EBFP recognizes the broad reach that can be obtained by working with financial intermediaries to support Target SMEs, and the need for proactive market development to increase both market size and consumer awareness.

Established with US$20 million in Global Environment Facility (GEF) funding, the EBFP helps improve access to finance, capacity building, and markets for small businesses active in renewable energy and energy efficiency, biodiversity, and sustainable land management.

In particular, the program will engage domestic financial intermediaries — commercial and retail banks, leasing companies, microfinance institutions — to serve the environmental SME market. This will allow Target SMEs to develop new business opportunities and open up profitable new markets for domestic financial institutions.