The European Union and Yaoundé have unveiled an innovative financing scheme aimed at enhancing access to bank credit for small and medium-sized enterprises in Cameroon.

Part of the Economic Development Support Project through Value Chain Promotion and Private Initiative (PAD-CV), this initiative mobilizes nearly 30 billion Central African CFA francs in bank loans. It leverages a financial facility of about 6 billion CFA francs, backed by a total budget of 9.8 billion CFA francs. The 6 billion CFA francs guarantee will not be disbursed directly to businesses but will instead serve as collateral for banks issuing loans to project leaders. The remaining funds will support technical assistance.

The program targets various business structures, including micro-enterprises, small and medium-sized businesses, startups, cooperatives, common initiative groups (GIC), producer organizations, digital-focused clusters, and incubators. Priority will be given to enterprises founded by women and young entrepreneurs.

Interested businesses must respond to the call for projects launched on July 15 via the designated platform. The submission window remains open for three months. Shortlisted projects will undergo a diagnostic assessment, followed by technical mentorship and business plan refinement to meet bank requirements. The goal is to present viable, bank-ready proposals to financial institutions.