NOA & USAID, exchanging best practices at Balkans level!

Organized by USAID CATALYZE WB Engines of Growth, a meeting bringing together representatives from several USAID-backed financial projects from all across the Western Balkans was held in the city of Belgrade on September 14th – 15th.

 
With the objective to promote best practices of a modern, ethical, and humane finance in the service of a truly sustainable and responsible development, the gathering was an opportunity also for NOA to share the evolution of the FALP project.

 
Via FALP – footwear and apparel loan product, NOA promotes collateral-free financing of up to 75,000 euros for Albanian companies in the textile and leather sector, accompanied by dedicated training. This represents a key sector of Albanian exports, having a very high concentration of female entrepreneurs and staff giving the initiative an important social dimension in support of the women entrepreneurship empowerment.

The “Engines of Growth” initiative promotes new innovative financial products aimed at the private sector in the Western Balkans. By targeting in particular high-growth SMEs and W-SMEs, the initiative’s objective is to support a sustainable economic development supporting jobs creation, bringing added value and benefiting to every link of the production chain, from the most technical staff to managers, shareholders or public institutions with which they interact.
 
It is worth noting that NOA's participation in this Balkan’s level meeting goes in parallel with its regional expansion considering that NOA has extended its activity to the Kosovo market since mid-2023, which literally gives NOA the status of a regional leader of the Balkans microfinance.

 
A special thanks goes to the entire organizing team of this program.