European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Banca Transilvania are supporting Profi, a leading player in Romania, to expand its supply chain finance.

This is the EBRD’s first supply chain finance transaction in Romania and is part of the EBRD Country Strategy for Romania, which aims to help develop SMEs and strengthen local supply chains.

The EBRD’s involvement will help expand Profi’s existing supply chain finance programme, administered by Banca Transilvania, a 20 million euro facility, with the EBRD taking on 50% of the risk.

The EBRD remains committed to fostering innovation and sustainability in Romania’s retail sector. By enhancing Profi’s supply chain finance programme, we aim to empower SMEs, promote sustainable practices and deliver significant economic impact, in line with our broader strategy for the region.

Victoria Zinchuk
EBRD Director for Romania

Supply chain finance in Romania has seen steady growth in recent years, as more companies experience the flexibility and benefits of these instruments. We appreciate the EBRD’s commitment to developing these tools locally. Together, we can continue to broaden producers’ access to efficient cash flow management, while also offering our clients an additional tool for managing supply chain risks.

Cosmin Călin
Executive Director, Large Corporate, Banca Transilvania

Strengthening our relationships with our suppliers, especially local producers and those in the SME segment, by giving them access to supply chain finance as a simple tool to further grow their business, is one of Profi’s commitments. We are at the centre of the financing ecosystem through this simple, easy-to-access and very convenient mechanism, creating the link between our suppliers, on the one hand, and our banking partners, on the other, with the shared goal of further developing modern retail in Romania.

Andrei Bica
Chief Financial Officer, Profi

In addition, participating suppliers will benefit from the EBRD Advice for Small Businesses (ASB) programme and from the expertise of external consultants, who will help them draw up effective green transition plans, adopt innovative solutions in their operations and publish commitments under the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Suppliers who adopt and publish SBTi commitments will be eligible for financial incentives of up to 25,000 euro each from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation funding programme.

Profi has 1,750 stores in Romania, under three brands: Super (medium and large stores), Go (convenience stores) and Loco (stores in rural areas).