NATIONAL MICROCREDIT AGENCY (ENM): MISSION AND VISION

National Microcredit Agency is a non-economic public body that exercises important functions in the field of microcredit and microfinance, at national and international level. In particular:

• Promotion, guidance, facilitation, evaluation and monitoring of EU-promoted microfinance instruments and microfinance activities implemented using EU funds;
• monitoring and evaluation of Italian microcredit and microfinance initiatives;
• promotion and support of microcredit and microfinance programmes aimed at the economic and social development of the country, as well as developing countries and economies in transition.

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The mission of the organisation is to promote the development of micro-entrepreneurship and self-employment, as well as the social and financial inclusion of the most disadvantaged. To this end, the organisation develops initiatives to facilitate access to credit through microfinance instruments, training, mentoring, research, capacity building, and dissemination of good practices.

Thanks to the experience gained at national and international level, the organisation is now the main point of reference for public administrations and stakeholders interested in the development of microcredit in Italy and Europe, in developing countries and in economies in transition.

The organisation’s activities are characterised by an ethical outlook, which considers finance - and thus the use of money - as a means and not as an end, with the human and social advancement of individuals as its focus.

According to this vision, the organisation sees micro-credit not as a form of ‘welfarism’, but as a genuine loan aimed at developing entrepreneurial projects or implementing projects aimed at improving the personal or family living conditions of weak sections of the population.

For the organisation, micro-credit must encourage a prudent and rational use of financial resources, without repudiating the basic mechanisms of finance, but reformulating its reference values: the person and not capital, the idea and not wealth, a fair return on investment and not speculation.

In the organisation’s vision, microcredit should support both those entrepreneurial activities that produce a social and economic benefit on the territory, and those that move towards a humanly and ecologically sustainable development, e.g. in the non-profit sector, social and international cooperation, cultural and artistic activities, organic farming, fishing, etc.

The Board’s strategy

The organisation’s strategy is divided into three areas of intervention:

• Financial instruments area: design of microfinance interventions aimed at strengthening public administration capacity, enhancing systemic action and monitoring public and private microcredit initiatives;
• Technical area: promotion, steering and facilitation of microfinance instruments promoted by the European Union; monitoring and evaluation of microfinance initiatives; support and stimulation of the legislative framework; management and updating of the National List of Tutors; capacity building activities for the PA, the private sector, the non-profit sector and other stakeholders; development of microcredit and microfinance models and instruments;
• Promotional area: major promotional events, e.g. European Microfinance Forum and Forum on Cultural and Creative Enterprise; information and training seminars; dissemination of microfinance culture; financial education; creation of one-stop microcredit desks activated at local Italian PPAAs; networking among microfinance operators.

The Ente’s strategy is developed both at a national level (domestic microfinance) and at an international level and, in particular, in favour of developing countries and economies in transition (microfinance for international cooperation), in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in line with the international cooperation policies adopted by Italy. In the areas of financial, technical and promotional instruments, the Authority develops project, training, research and assistance initiatives that indirectly favour access to microcredit by micro-entrepreneurs and disadvantaged persons. It should be emphasised, in fact, that the organisation is not a financial intermediary authorised to exercise credit and, therefore, does not disburse funds directly, but creates the conditions to favour access to credit by the target subjects. These are the Ente’s main strategic initiatives:

• development - also by means of funds made available by the European Union, the State, the Regions and local authorities, as well as by private operators - of projects aimed at supporting the realisation of investments by micro-enterprises and cooperatives, or the financial inclusion of individuals or families in a state of poverty or otherwise unable to access bank credit;
• development of microcredit and microfinance models and tools;
• evaluation of the social performance of public and private programmes aimed at micro-entrepreneurs;
• awareness-raising, training and capacity building of public administrations and microcredit providers;
• analysis and development of regulatory solutions;
• Targeted information to the target audience on microfinance instruments;
• promotion of communities of stakeholders in the microcredit system;
• development and dissemination of microfinance culture.

National Microcredit Agency is a non-economic public body that exercises important functions in the field of microcredit and microfinance, at national and international level. In particular:

• Promotion, guidance, facilitation, evaluation and monitoring of EU-promoted microfinance instruments and microfinance activities implemented using EU funds;
• monitoring and evaluation of Italian microcredit and microfinance initiatives;
• promotion and support of microcredit and microfinance programmes aimed at the economic and social development of the country, as well as developing countries and economies in transition.

The mission of the organisation is to promote the development of micro-entrepreneurship and self-employment, as well as the social and financial inclusion of the most disadvantaged. To this end, the organisation develops initiatives to facilitate access to credit through microfinance instruments, training, mentoring, research, capacity building, and dissemination of good practices.

Thanks to the experience gained at national and international level, the organisation is now the main point of reference for public administrations and stakeholders interested in the development of microcredit in Italy and Europe, in developing countries and in economies in transition.

The organisation’s activities are characterised by an ethical outlook, which considers finance - and thus the use of money - as a means and not as an end, with the human and social advancement of individuals as its focus.

According to this vision, the organisation sees micro-credit not as a form of ‘welfarism’, but as a genuine loan aimed at developing entrepreneurial projects or implementing projects aimed at improving the personal or family living conditions of weak sections of the population.

For the organisation, micro-credit must encourage a prudent and rational use of financial resources, without repudiating the basic mechanisms of finance, but reformulating its reference values: the person and not capital, the idea and not wealth, a fair return on investment and not speculation.

In the organisation’s vision, microcredit should support both those entrepreneurial activities that produce a social and economic benefit on the territory, and those that move towards a humanly and ecologically sustainable development, e.g. in the non-profit sector, social and international cooperation, cultural and artistic activities, organic farming, fishing, etc