European Financing Partners (EFP), a joint venture between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and several European DFIs, is a co-financing vehicle established in 2003 aiming at promoting sustainable development of the private sector and strengthening co-operation between eligible European Development Finance Institutions and the EIB. The EFP provides financing to countries included in the OECD DAC list.

EFP’s operational structure is characterised by an efficient and fast track process. As a result, EFP‘s annual operational costs amount to only €40,000. One outstanding example of how well this can work involves the processing of a large telecommunications project in less than two months from first application to disbursement.

An independent evaluation (Dalberg, 2012) of EFP-financed energy projects in sub-Saharan Africa showed that the EDFI provided finance on terms unavailable from commercial lenders, as well as key advisory support. A broad range of sectors are served, the main ones being industry, financial intermediaries, communications, agribusiness and power, with investments also in the transport, health and hotel sectors .

Since the co-financing facility was established, a total of 41 projects at a value of €541 million have been approved by EFP.

Read more: EFP – EDFI MC