Deadline:
April 10, 2025
Location(s)
Worldwide
Overview
The European Microfinance Award is a prestigious annual €100,000 award, which attracts applications from financial service providers around the world that are innovating in a particular area of financial inclusion.
The Award was launched in 2005 by the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade (MFA), and is jointly organised by e-MFP, MFA and the Inclusive Finance Network Luxembourg (InFiNe.lu), in cooperation with the European Investment Bank. It serves two parallel goals: rewarding excellence, and collecting and disseminating the most relevant practices for replication by others.
Details
About the Award
Recognizing Excellence in Inclusive Finance since 2005
The European Microfinance Award (EMA) aims to recognize excellence and disseminate best practices for replication by others, by: rewarding outstanding achievements in inclusive finance and fostering the sharing of innovative practices to advance the sector. Each year, the award focuses on a specific theme, addressing critical areas such as climate change resilience, technology in financial inclusion, and women's empowerment.
The EMA2025 Edition
The European Microfinance Award 2025 highlights organisations that enable low-income and vulnerable people to build resilience and manage risk thanks to inclusive and effective insurance.
By focusing on "Building Resilience Through Inclusive Insurance," this year's award addresses the urgent need for structured risk management among these populations, who face numerous economic, health, and climate-related challenges. Promoting inclusive insurance helps individuals recover from shocks, build long-term resilience, and achieve sustainable economic security.
Why the European Microfinance Award
Convinced that financial inclusion is an important tool for poverty alleviation, the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs - Directorate for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs launched the European Microfinance Award in 2005 to promote financial inclusion initiatives and highlight their innovating contribution in a particlar area, to the development of the sector. The European Microfinance Award serves two parallel goals: rewarding excellence, and collecting and disseminating the most relevant practices for replication by others.
Opportunity is About
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Description of Ideal Candidate
Successful applicants should demonstrate an effective strategy to increase both their own resilience (i.e. operations, staff, policy, control) and that of their clients (appropriate financial and non-financial services), while ensuring responses that provide both for the immediate, medium- and long-term needs of the latter. They must be active in the financial services sector and be based in a developing country. Various types of microfinance institutions are eligible including NGOs, cooperatives, MFI networks, investments funds, commercial banks, development banks, leasing firms, insurance companies, etc.
Dates
Deadline: April 10, 2025
Cost/funding for participants
Un-save Opportunity
Internships, scholarships, student conferences and competitions.
