FAQ on the European Microfinance Award

The European Microfinance Award (EMA) is an annual initiative that recognizes and promotes excellence in inclusive finance. Established in 2005 in Luxembourg, the award highlights innovative financial inclusion initiatives and disseminates best practices to foster sector development.

The EMA is open to organizations and initiatives that demonstrate innovative and impactful financial inclusion practices. Specific eligibility criteria can be found in the Concept Note & Award Guidelines document, available HERE in English, HERE in French and HERE in Spanish.

To apply, review the Concept Note & Award Guidelines, then complete the online application form. The application process is outlined on our home page.

For more information, you can watch the replays of the 3 application guidance sessions held on March 25 and 26: in ENGLISH | in SPANISH | in FRENCH.

• Application Opening: March 12th
• Application Guidance Webinars: March 25th (in English and Spanish) and March 26th (in French)
• Application Deadline: April 10th
• Application review Round 1: April-May 2025
• Start of Round 2: First half of May 2025
• Announcement of Finalists: October 6th
• Award Ceremony: November 13th

Winners receive international recognition, networking opportunities, and funding (€100,000 for the winner and €10,000 for the two runners-up) to further their impact. Additionally, winners gain access to a network of industry leaders and stakeholders. You can find out more about the previous editions and winners on the "Previous Awards" page.

The EMA is initiated and supported by the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, that grants the three prize money. It is jointly organized by the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP) and the Inclusive Finance Network Luxembourg (InFiNe.lu).

Past themes include: Advancing Financial Inclusion for Refugees and Forcibly Displaced People (2024), Inclusive Finance for Food Security & Nutrition (2023), Financial Inclusion that Works for Women (2022), Inclusive Finance and Health Care (2021), Encouraging Effective & Inclusive Savings (2020), Strengthening Resilience to Climate Change (2019), Financial Inclusion through Technology (2018), Microfinance for Housing (2017), Microfinance and Access to Education (2016), Microfinance in Post-Disaster, Post-Conflict Areas and Fragile States (2015), Microfinance and the Environment (2014), Microfinance for Food Security (2012), Value Chain Finance (2010), Socially Responsible Microfinance (2008), Innovation for Outreach (2006).

Applicants are evaluated by the Preselection Committee (Round 1) on the basis of the relevance and effectiveness of the programme presented in addressing the specific goal of the award, their financial performance and the quality, clarity and transparency of the application.

Then, preselected applicants will be evaluated by the Selection Committee (Round 2) in order to select 7 to 10 semifinalists and from among those, the 3 finalists.

And finally, a High Jury selects the winner from among the three finalists.

The award ceremony is open to invited guests, including finalists, partners, sponsors, and industry stakeholders. Details about attendance will be provided closer to the event date.

You can find more information about past winners, including their impact stories and follow-up visits, on our "Previous Awards" page.

You can stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter, but also by following our news on the e-MFP and InFiNe.lu websites.

For questions regarding the European Microfinance Award ceremony, you can contact InFiNe.lu (Inclusive Finance Network Luxembourg) a.s.b.l via e-mail at contact@infine.lu or by phone +352 28 37 15 09. For questions regarding the EMA application process, you can contact the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP) via e-mail EMAward@e-mfp.eu or by phone +352 26 27 13.