The AFD Group

The AFD Group

The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) is the principal executive agency of project aid within the framework of the French bilateral development assistance. It operates in the sub-Saharan Africa, the Maghreb, the Pacific, Asia, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean basin and the Middle East. These countries are within the Priority Solidarity Area benefiting from the French development aid. AFD is also involved in Overseas France.
 
As a financial institution, AFD provides Governments and companies in the public sector with credits in the form of grants or loans designed to finance economic and social infrastructure and productive investment projects which lay the foundations of sustainable growth and contribute to the reduction of poverty.
 
In order to meet its priority requirements, AFD also offers concessional and non-concessional loans while expanding its non sovereign loan activity to help its partners to implement sustainable development concepts and to integrate environmental, social and economic concerns into their companies and project activities.

Proparco

Formed in 1977, PROPARCO (société de PROmotion et de PARticipation pour la COopération économique) is a development finance company with a share capital of € 142.56 million, in which AFD owns a 66% stake.
Its role is to stimulate investment and markets by granting bank loans, which are both financially profitable and beneficial in development terms in the countries concerned. The company concentrates its activities on major aspects of economic development such as supporting growth factors by prioritising the most disadvantaged sectors of the population; promoting, modernising and securing financial markets; access to healthcare and education; environmental protection; upgrading companies, and lastly projects involved with the economy's regional integration.

It offers its expertise, services and products for investments, respecting the principle of subsidiarity with local banks. Its activities take the form of long-term loans, equity capital and quasi equity capital (shareholdings), guarantees (to facilitate mobilisation of resources in local currencies) and financial engineering. It acts directly amongst investors or through banks. It facilitates access by its clients to investment support products (studies funding, guarantee funds, corporate grants) and manages specific funds on behalf of the European Union.

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Fonds Français pour l'Environnement Mondial (FFEM)

French Global Environment Facility (FFEM)
The FGEF (French Global Environment Facility), provides project financing and contributes to international mobilisation concerning major ecological challenges such as climate change, the protection of biodiversity, management of international waters, protection of the ozone layer, combating desertification, deforestation and persistent organic pollutants.

AFD is responsible for the administrative and financial management of the Fund. Cofinancing can be set up for joint projects with AFD.

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CEFEB

The Centre d’Etudes Financières Economiques et Bancaires (CEFEB) is a division of the AFD, which was formed in 1961 for the purpose of improving the senior executives of companies, banks and financial authorities in the area where AFD operates.
Now, as a space for training and discussion at the service of development players in the South and in the North, it offers training courses of different lengths, workshops to share experiences and strategic thinking as well as educational media using new information and communications technologies. It is also involved in running sessions in partner organisations and contributes to internal training initiatives at AFD.
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