The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is enhancing its support for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Albania through a new partnership with Landeslease. Under this initiative, the Bank will provide a senior loan of up to €5 million to improve access to finance for MSMEs across the country.
The funding, provided through the EBRD’s SME Reboot Programme, will enable Landeslease to offer sub-leases for MSME investments in advanced technologies and services. This support will allow local businesses to go beyond their current operations, upgrade processes, and meet European Union standards as well as other internationally recognised benchmarks, thereby increasing their competitiveness both within Albania and abroad.
In addition to financing, the programme offers technical cooperation aimed at reducing investment costs and ensuring effective project implementation. This includes support for project management, marketing, and monitoring. Eligible MSMEs will also benefit from grant incentives of up to 10 percent of each sub-lease, which will be released after the investments have been verified.
For the Landeslease loan, both the technical assistance and investment grants are funded by Switzerland through the EBRD Small Business Impact Fund (SBIF). At least 70 percent of the funds are intended for investments in green technologies under the EBRD’s Green Economy Transition approach. This will support the adoption of cleaner solutions, improve energy and resource efficiency, and encourage sustainable practices across Albania’s MSME sector.
Ekaterina Solovova, Head of the EBRD in Albania, said that the partnership with Landeslease under the SME Reboot Programme represents a significant step in expanding affordable financing for Albanian MSMEs. She noted that with a focus on green investments, businesses will be able to upgrade equipment, enhance efficiency, and align with EU standards, which will help them grow sustainably and compete beyond the domestic market.
Rezart Ferzaj, CEO of Landeslease, highlighted the value of this collaboration, explaining that it allows Landeslease to combine leasing solutions, technical assistance, and incentive programmes to help MSMEs improve their operations, increase efficiency, and grow in line with European standards.
Landeslease, founded in 2005 and headquartered in Tirana, is one of Albania’s largest leasing companies. It specialises in finance and operating leases, with a particular focus on vehicles and equipment. The EBRD’s SME Reboot Programme is designed to provide a combination of financing, advisory support, and investment incentives to help small firms recover from recent macroeconomic challenges and improve their performance. Since beginning operations in Albania, the EBRD has invested more than €2.3 billion through 175 projects.
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