EBRD and Garanti BBVA back women- and youth-led firms in Türkiye

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is investing €100 million in senior rated notes issued under Garanti BBVA’s existing diversified payment rights (DPR) programme to broaden access to finance for women- and youth-led businesses in Türkiye, according to a press release issued on 26 October 2026. The financing will provide Garanti BBVA with long-term funding, with support from the Turkish Treasury. Half of the investment will go to women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), while the remainder will fund young entrepreneurs. The partnership builds on the EBRD’s longstanding cooperation with Garanti BBVA. It aims to foster more inclusive growth across the country.

DPR financing is backed by current and future foreign-currency payment orders generated through the bank’s payment business. This structure supports longer-term funding and helps diversify Garanti BBVA’s wholesale funding base. Garanti BBVA is one of the EBRD’s longest-standing partner banks in Türkiye. The transaction marks the bank’s first under the Türkiye Women in Business II (TurWiB II) programme, following its earlier participation in the first phase of the Women in Business programme. It is also the bank’s first transaction under the Türkiye Youth in Business (TurYiB) programme.

Under TurWiB II, €50 million will be used for on-lending to women-owned or -led SMEs. Garanti BBVA will seek to broaden access to finance for women entrepreneurs, including businesses outside Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir, as well as first-time borrowers. The programme will also deliver targeted non-financial services to eligible women-led firms, such as advisory support, training, mentoring, networking and knowledge products. A potential focus will be placed on growth-stage and technology-oriented companies. The remaining €50 million, under TurYiB, will support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises managed or majority-owned by people under the age of 35.

The EBRD financing will be accompanied by first-loss risk cover provided by the Türkiye Credit Guarantee Fund and underwritten by the Turkish Treasury. Francis Malige, the EBRD’s Managing Director for Financial Institutions, welcomed the partnership.

“Women and young entrepreneurs are central to Türkiye’s long-term competitiveness, yet many continue to face barriers in accessing finance and know-how,” he said. “By combining long-term funding with targeted advisory support and credit enhancement, this investment will help Garanti BBVA to reach more businesses, including first-time borrowers and entrepreneurs in Türkiye.”

Mahmut Akten, the CEO of Garanti BBVA, said the dedicated funding would help broaden access to finance and foster more inclusive growth.

The EBRD remains a key institutional investor in Türkiye. Since 2009, it has committed more than €26 billion in the country, largely in the private sector. The latest transaction extends that engagement by channeling long-term resources through a trusted partner bank. It also pairs financial support with advisory tools designed to reach underserved entrepreneurs. The combined approach reinforces the EBRD’s focus on inclusive economic development in Türkiye.