PerMicro, microcredit and social impact: more than 3,000 projects supporting families and small businesses in 2023
Over the past year, PerMicro financed 3,030 projects supporting families and micro-enterprises, disbursing more than €35 million. The figures reflect significant growth in activity, with support for small businesses increasing by 14% and financing for families by 8%.
The share of women- and youth-led businesses among those supported also continued to grow: the proportion of businesses led by women rose from 37% to 39%, while 31% of financing went to businesses led by people under the age of 35.
The event also saw the presentation of a new social impact study developed in collaboration with Triadi. The research, which analysed PerMicro’s activities between 2009 and 2022, found that more than 9,000 beneficiaries — including individuals and businesses initially excluded from traditional bank financing — were able to pursue sustainable growth paths through access to microcredit, contributing to the creation of 3,601 jobs.
Over the 14-year period, the total volume of financing grew by an average of 30% per year, from €1.5 million to €26 million.
Access to affordable credit therefore confirms its role as a tangible driver of social and economic inclusion, particularly for the most vulnerable segments of the population. The benefits also extend to the public sector: the increase in income and consumption generated by the financed activities produced an estimated €123 million in tax revenues and contributed to lower public spending on subsidies, with estimated savings of €18.3 million.
However, the need for microfinance instruments remains significant. According to an analysis by Banca Etica based on Bank of Italy data, in 2022 around 3% of Italian households — equivalent to approximately 1.3 million people — still lacked access to basic banking services.
Speakers at the event, moderated by journalist Alberico Imbriano, included Mario Calderini, Full Professor at the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano and Director of Tiresia; Francesca Giubergia, President of PerMicro; and Benigno Imbriano, CEO.