SMEs in North Macedonia to receive funding for green and digital technologies

Small and medium-sized enterprises in North Macedonia are receiving a new boost for digitalization and green transformation thanks to a partnership between the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Union, and NLB Banka Skopje. The EBRD is granting a 2 million euro loan to the bank, which will be redirected as loans to SMEs under the regional Go Digital in Western Balkans program. This was reported by BalkanEngineer.com from an official EBRD announcement.

The program was created to promote the competitiveness and sustainability of the private sector through investments in modern technologies. In addition to the loans, businesses will also receive grants equal to 10% of the loan amount, as well as access to EU-funded technical assistance.

Companies will be able to finance a wide range of solutions, from automated and robotic equipment to software tools for data analysis and business decision-making. In this way, the project will support not only digitalization but also decarbonization and more efficient use of resources.

"Supporting SMEs in their digital and green transition is essential for creating a truly competitive and sustainable private sector. This loan will help businesses in North Macedonia harness the power of automation and digitalisation," said Fatih Türkmenoğlu, EBRD Country Manager for North Macedonia.

For his part, Tony Stojanovski, Chairman of the Management Board of NLB Banka Skopje, emphasized that SMEs are "the backbone of the economy" and that support for their transformation will lead to a more sustainable and competitive business environment.

The European Ambassador to Skopje, Michalis Rokas, added that the initiative is part of the EU's efforts under Team Europe and the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), which provides a total of 27.6 million euro for incentives and technical assistance in the region.

To date, the EBRD has invested around 2.9 billion euro in North Macedonia in various economic sectors, making it one of the country's most important institutional partners.

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