Auteur: Klaas Molenaar

Webinar on Financial education for staff of Financial Institutions working with migrant entrepreneurs

Contrary to what many assume or prejudge, financing migrant entrepreneurs can be indeed attractive and profitable for financial institutions. But this requires that staff of such institutions leave the beaten track.  It is not only up to migrant and refugee entrepreneurs to learn how to best access and use financing, but staff of financial institutions must also be willing to learn more about:

• The context refugee and migrant entrepreneurs operate and live in,
• The barriers they face while seeking financing and the cost-effective way to help them overcome these barriers,
• The various options for the migrant entrepreneur to choose from: micro, small enterprise or (hybrid) self-employment,
• The real financing needs during different stages of the businesses set up

Only by understanding and taking into consideration these aspects, it is possible to design and offer the right financing to migrant and refugee entrepreneurs.

On the 25th of February, YMCB organised a webinar on “Better access to Finance for Migrant and Refugee Entrepreneurs” for staff of financial institutions reaching out to migrant and/or refugee entrepreneurs, trainers, and coaches. Four modules to train staff of financial institutions were presented – see also Guide on ‚Financial Education for better access to Finance for Migrant and Refugee Entrepreneurs’,  co-authored by  Klaas Molenaar , who also lead the team that developed the guide,

Each module has a special focus:

1. Knowing the migrant entrepreneur ,
2. Guiding the client towards effective financing,
3. Assisting in making use of financing and
4. Offering the right financing packages

An open discussion followed, in which participants had a chance to have their questions answered by the panellists and co-authors of the Guide, and share their opinions and experiences.

Around 33 professionals attended the webinar, most of them working with financial service providers such as formal banks, non-bank financial institutions, micro finance institutions, representatives of migrant organisations and some staff of non-financial service providers.  

YMCB organizes the Webinar on “Better access to Finance for Migrant and Refugee Entrepreneurs”, taking place on Thursday, the 25th of February, from 16:00 to 17:00 CET.

At the webinar the Financial Education for better access to Finance for Migrant and Refugee Entrepreneurs, will be presented. Timpoc Consultants prepared this guide together with staff of The Hague University of Applied Sciences for the YMCB project.

Read more at YMCB Webinar on “Better access to Finance for Migrant and Refugee Entrepreneurs”,

Not all migrants and refugees arriving in Europe are destitute, without assets and resources. They know how to organise themselves. They set up new (internet based) systems to support each other  also in setting up new businesses

On 20^th June the EMEN and The Hague University of Applied Sciences organised the 2^nd International Event with  a special focus on Access to Finance for Migrant Entrepreneur.

At the event the leading questions were:

• how migrant entrepreneurs might finance their new ventures?
• how they can make use of existing formal and informal financing mechanisms?
• how they can make use of mainstream facilities?
• how special mechanisms might be relevant, needed and desirable?

Existing organizations, projects and programmes were given a platform to show what they are doing. A market space  was created where ideas were offered and idea- hungry, interested persons had a chance to be get information about approaches that they might use in their own environment. Leading, thought provoking professionals and practitioners were given the floor to share their ideas; brief, catchy pitches and brief talks confuse, opened eyes and gave that little push into the direction people already wanted to go in.

For more information go to http://emen-project.eu/