20 Years of Microcredit in France - The Knowledge Gained Through Adie's Experience

This paper summarizes 10 notes that describe the course pursued by Adie, a pioneer in microcredit in Europe. It describes Adie’s origins, mission and objectives, its economic model, the microcredit market in France, adaptation of methods and diversification of products, partnering with corporate, government and the financial sectors, and the need for change in the institutional framework.

Key lessons that emerge from these notes are:

• MFIs can be created from nothing, like the enterprises created by their clients;
• Developing the supply of microcredit requires the adaptation of institutional environment;
• Business development services to clients are a necessary complement to microcredit, given the complexity of the institutional environment;
• Microcredit can be developed in Europe on a much larger scale in the 2007–2013 structural funds program framework.

Finally, it highlights the important role microcredit plays in bettering the lives of vulnerable people. MFIs, in order to offer clients continued service, must become sustainable without diluting their social objectives.