Women in Business
GUARANTEE FOR SUCCESS!
The Women in Business Window is a KCGF guarantee scheme designed to improve access to finance for enterprises owned, co-owned or managed by women. Backed by capital from the World Bank and counter-guarantee support from Sida, this window aims to create more opportunities for the development of women-led businesses and strengthen women's participation in the economy.
For women entrepreneurs, access to finance can be critical to starting, expanding or strengthening a business. Through its credit guarantee, KCGF shares part of the risk with Registered Financial Institutions, increasing financing capacity and supporting investments, working capital and long-term business development.
Alongside its financial component, the Women in Business Window provides non-financial support through capacity building, financial education, mentoring, networking and professional development. It therefore aims to improve access to finance, empower women entrepreneurs, enhance business sustainability and contribute to inclusive economic development.
WHO CAN BENEFIT?
The Women in Business Window is intended for privately owned MSMEs in which women are owners, co-owners or hold executive management positions.
| CRITERIA | REQUIREMENT |
|---|---|
| Business status | Micro, small or medium enterprise |
| Registration | MSME registered with the Kosovo Business Registration Agency (KBRA) |
| Ownership | Privately owned business |
| Number of employees | Fewer than 250 employees |
| Definition | At least one woman is an owner or co-owner, or at least one woman holds an executive position |
GUARANTEE FEATURES
The Women in Business Window offers terms tailored to the needs of women-led businesses, combining higher guarantee coverage with long-term financing for working capital and investments.
| FEATURE | TERMS |
|---|---|
| Guarantee coverage | Up to 70% |
| Minimum loan amount | EUR 3,000 |
| Maximum loan amount | EUR 250,000 |
| Maximum guarantee amount | EUR 175,000 |
| Maximum loan maturity | 120 months |
| Loan purposes | Working capital and capital investments |
ADDED VALUE
The Women in Business Window creates value both for women entrepreneurs seeking financing and development support and for financial institutions seeking to expand financing for this segment.
- Improved access to finance
- More favourable lending terms
- Reduced collateral requirements
- Support for development and sustainability
- Improved financial knowledge, mentoring and networking
- Reduced credit risk
- Reduced cost of risk
- Opportunities to expand the loan portfolio
- Expanded financing for women in business
- Opportunities to develop dedicated financial products for marginalised groups
The Women in Business Window connects women's entrepreneurial potential with opportunities for financing and development, combining credit guarantees with non-financial support for business growth and sustainability.
HOW THE GUARANTEE SCHEME WORKS
KCGF has no direct contact with borrowers.
Communication with the borrower takes place through the Registered Financial Institution.
Responsibilities and monitoring
KCGF operates on the premise that the RFI will conduct an appropriate credit risk assessment and verify the eligibility of the borrower and the loan.To monitor and oversee the performance of each participating RFI, KCGF has developed two monitoring mechanisms: