Projects and beneficiaries

By working with donors, the Bank is able to respond more effectively to emergencies and provide greater support to vulnerable groups. Consequently, the CEB increasingly incorporates donor funds into its projects. In 2024, grant approvals more than doubled compared to 2023, reaching €72 million, while loans guaranteed by trust funds almost quadrupled to €95 million.

Grants financed by trust funds supported 44 projects across 19 member countries. The three countries that received the most grants were Albania, the Republic of Moldova and Türkiye. Assistance to migrants, refugees and displaced persons accounted for the largest share of approvals, at €47 million or 66%, in line with the Bank's priority mission.

Click to enlarge the map.

Projects supported by donor funds vary widely but share the same goal: target the most vulnerable people across Europe and address their basic social needs, such as housing, education and healthcare.

• Digital training courses in Albania
  Albanian authorities have partnered with the CEB to develop digital skills among the population. The Bank approved a €27 million loan in 2023 to set up information technology laboratories in around 600 schools across the country. The loan will be blended with a €10 million investment grant from the Western Balkans Investment Framework.
• Sustainable procurement in the Balkans
  Best practices in procurement are key to ensuring that CEB funds are used in accordance with sound financial principles. In 2024, the Bank provided technical assistance to borrowers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia to help them increase competition among bidders and improve the sustainability of the goods, works and services procured. The support was financed by Italy through the Italian Fund for Innovative Projects.
• Reconciliation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
  Once the most ethnically diverse city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mostar remains divided along ethnic lines following the 1992-1995 armed conflict in the country. To foster reconciliation, the CEB approved in 2024 a €1.5 million grant from the Green Social Investment Fund for a cultural and sports centre which will provide a space where different ethnic groups can interact.
• Women entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina
  As in many other countries, women in Bosnia and Herzegovina are at a disadvantage compared with men when it comes to accessing the labour market, credit and asset ownership. To help bridge this gender gap, the Bank approved a €3 million loan in 2024 to Mikra Microcredit, a microfinance institution focusing on supporting women. The loan was made possible by a guarantee from the Social Impact Account.
• Micro-entrepreneurs in Bulgaria
  To improve access to finance for enterprises in Bulgaria, the CEB works with microfinance institutions. In Bulgaria, the Bank approved a €3 million loan to one such institution, SIS Credit to support the development of its lending activities. It also commissioned a study on the impact of its lending. The loan is guaranteed by the Social Impact Account and the study financed by the InvestEU Advisory Hub.
• Social housing in the Republic of Moldova
  The CEB is supporting an innovative project to convert 32 existing buildings into social housing in the Republic of Moldova. In 2024, the Bank secured a €6 million grant from the Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environment Partnership to improve the energy efficiency of the project.
• A regional hospital in the Republic of Moldova
  The Republic of Moldova has one of the lowest life expectancies in Europe, partly due to limited health infrastructure. To help Moldovan authorities address this challenge, the Bank secured a €3 million grant from the Neighbourhood Investment Platform. The grant will finance the design and technical documentation of a regional hospital to be built in the city of Bălți.
• Social housing in Montenegro
  The Montenegrin authorities are developing a national housing strategy for 2024-2034 in a bid to improve the supply of affordable housing. To support this process, the Bank secured a grant from the Slovak authorities through the Slovak Inclusive Growth Account to finance an assessment of social housing needs and feasibility studies on new housing programmes.
• Bolstering Türkiye's healthcare infrastructure
  Türkiye hosts approximately three million refugees, making it one of the world’s leading refugee-hosting countries. The country's authorities, in coordination with the CEB, are implementing a project to improve healthcare for refugees and their host communities across the country. In 2024, the European Union (EU) approved an additional €50 million for the project, bringing its total contribution to €140 million.
• Earthquake preparedness in Türkiye
  Türkiye is one of the most seismically active countries in the world. To help the authorities and the public prepare for seismic events, the Bank approved in 2024 two grants totalling €1.8 million from the Disaster Prevention and Recovery Fund for an evaluation of a major earthquake preparedness programme in Istanbul and to raise awareness on earthquake preparedness.
• Strengtening paediatric care in Ukraine
  The Bank supports a medical centre in the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, that is a leading institution for paediatric and neonatal care nationwide. The Bank approved in 2024 two grants totalling €350 000 from the Ukraine Solidarity Fund and the Migrant and Refugee Fund to finance urgent repairs and prepare a comprehensive upgrade of the centre.
• Housing in Ukraine
  Given Ukraine's extensive reconstruction needs, it is important for the Ukrainian authorities and the international community to set priorities. To support this process, the CEB commissioned, at the request of the Ukrainian authorities, a study on the country's social infrastructure needs. The study is funded by Spain through the Spanish Social Cohesion Account.
• Integration of migrants across Europe
  Across Europe, migrants face unfavourable outcomes in terms of education, employment and access to basic services such as healthcare and decent housing. Partnerships and Financing for Migrant Inclusion (PAFMI) was a €3.5 million EU-funded project that supported the integration of migrants in the EU through innovative partnerships and financing.
• Integration of Roma
  Roma are disproportionately affected by unemployment, poverty, inadequate housing and poor health. The €3 million, EU-funded Housing and Empowerment for Roma (HERO) grant project improved housing and employment opportunities for vulnerable Roma in Bulgaria, Romania and the Slovak Republic through a comprehensive approach that included training and micro-credit.

Testimonials from our beneficiaries

These testimonies from final beneficiaries illustrate the positive impact of donor-supported operations

Supporting migrants in Lithuania

With financial support from the MRF, the Jonava District Municipality created a community centre to facilitate the integration of migrants and purchased apartments to provide them with housing. Representatives from the municipality explain how the project came about, while Basma, Essa, Fozie, and Rana, who fled Syria and now live in Jonava, tell their stories.

Helping refugees from Ukraine: Alexander’s story

Alexander had to flee Mykolaiv when the war broke out in Ukraine. He found refuge and adequate medical care in Bulgaria, thanks to efforts of IOM Bulgaria and a grant from the MRF.

Supporting inclusive education in Serbia

Thanks to financing from the CEB, more students in Serbia can now find accommodation in dormitories and avoid travelling from remote and rural areas to continue their education. The project benefited from technical assistance financed by Spain through its CEB-administered Spanish Social Cohesion Account.