Microcredit, the impact for those excluded from banking channels

Microcredit is becoming increasingly fashionable. And financial inclusion can be a solution for complex times and for the many people considered fragile and economically vulnerable. There are important realities in Italy that are moving in this area.

One of the most active realities in this sector is PerMicro: from its foundation until today, according to the latest report presented, more than 40,000 credits have been disbursed, for a total value exceeding 336 million euro. The social impact measured by PerMicro (23 branches in Italy) for the period 2009-2022 shows that there are more than 9,000 beneficiaries of the credit granted by the company, including individuals and micro-enterprises, initially excluded from traditional banking channels: in 14 years it has recorded an average annual growth of 30% in the amounts disbursed, rising from 1.5 million euro in 2009 to 26 million in 2022. 3,601 jobs have been created thanks to the entrepreneurial activities created with PerMicro's support, involving women, young people under 35 and foreign citizens.

In 2024, PerMicro notes that 3,030 projects were supported in favour of families and small entrepreneurs, with more than EUR 35 million disbursed and a growth of 14% in assistance to micro-enterprises and 8% in assistance to families, compared to the previous year.

The focus on the most fragile segments is also confirmed: in 2024, 39% of the enterprises financed by PerMicro are led by women (up from 37% in 2023) and 31% by young people under 35, of whom 57 are under 26. Vulnerability remains in southern areas and among lower income earners. This is why microfinance can be an interesting lever: PerMicro president Francesca Giubergia spoke of the company as a 'unicuum in Italy and even in Europe'. The company's CEO Benigno Imbriano recalled that '2024 saw PerMicro achieve a balanced budget for the first time in its history. For us, however, this is not a goal, but a new starting point. We are aware that the current model and its consequent strategy can generate economic and social value that can be replicated over time. To confirm this, there are the numbers presented by the Milan Polytechnic team: we look ahead with great determination and with the will to consolidate the economic side and increase our credit volumes with social impact'.

Cassa del Microcredito is a project that started operating officially at the end of 2022 and aims to support small entrepreneurs, young professionals and self-employed workers excluded from bank credit because of a lack of collateral or insufficient credit history. The project was born from an initiative ofNational Confesercenti: the head office is in Rome but there are more than 150 territorial offices in Italy. The general manager of the company Mario Marotta explained that '25 million euro have been disbursed since the end of 2022. We have realised over 1,000 projects in the territory and activated jobs for 1,500 people'.