Promoting the access to credit for usually “non-bankable” subjects and to support the creation of new economic and professional opportunities able to contribute to the path of social inclusion and the fight against unemployment of economically fragile subjects (young and unemployed): this is the aim of MEDSt@rts project, which will be officially presented on Friday 31st January, at 9.30 am, at the headquarters of Fondazione di Sardegna in Cagliari, Italy (via San Salvatore da Horta, 2). Speakers include all project partners from Italy, Greece, Tunisia, Lebanon and Palestine.

MEDSt@rts ("Med microfinance support system for start-ups") aims to help unemployed (especially young people between 24 and 35 years old and women) and businesses in the shadow economy. Fondazione di Sardegna is the Lead Beneficiaryof the project, whose duration is 30 months. The other partners are: SFIRS (Italy), Arab Italian Cooperation Chamber (Italy), Chamber of Achaia (Greece), Sfax Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Tunisia), LEADERS (Palestine) and Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Sidon and South Lebanon (Lebanon). The project budget is €2.8 million, out of which €2.5 million as EU contribution through the EBI CBC Med Programme. 

The objective of the initiative is the creation of a common transnational program as an alternative system of access to credit inspired by ethical finance and solidarity principles, involving public and private institutions: an impartial, simple and impactful financing system that also allows the possibility of accessing forms of microfinance for the initiation and development of entrepreneurial actions in sectors such as digitalization, sustainable tourism, agrifood, eco-design and craftsmanship to individuals traditionally recognized as “non-bankable”.

For more information, please visit the project website.