IFIs provide funding for SMEs, but what impact does this actually have on these firms? This working paper assesses the impact of funding by the EIB on the performance of more than 5, 000 SMEs in eight countries in Central and Eastern Europe during 2008-2014. Using propensity score matching and difference-in-difference estimation exercises, it indicates that EIB lending has had a positive effect on employment, revenues and profitability. This holds whether or not the economy is in a period of crisis or recovery.
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About European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank is the world's biggest multilateral lender. The only bank owned by and representing the interests of the EU countries, the EIB finances Europe's economic growth. Over six decades the Bank has backed start-ups like Skype and massive schemes like the Øresund Bridge linking Sweden and Denmark. Headquartered in Luxembourg, the EIB Group includes the European Investment Fund, a specialist financer of small and medium-sized enterprises.