Agenda of the European Microfinance Day, Brussels, 17 October

Venue: Rue Royale 20, 1000 Brussels – BNP Paribas Fortis Event Space

15:00-17:00 Social Outcomes Measurement for Microfinance

This workshop will explore strategies for measuring the outcomes and impact of microfinance. Speakers from Università di Parma and Microfinanza Srl on behalf of MEMI partnership will present different approaches, including Social Return on Investment (SROI) and a specific social impact methodology developed. There will also be an overview presentation of the social impact tools and policy recommendations defined in the framework of the MEMI study funded by EIB Institute. There will be time for questions and answers. The workshop is open to all; it will be particularly interesting for practitioners, policymakers and academics working on microfinance.

17:00-17:30 Coffee break

17:30-18:30 European Code of Good Conduct Award Ceremony

This session is a ceremonial presentation of the “European Code of Good Conduct for Microcredit Provision” to those microfinance institutions who have formally qualified to receive it. It will include opening statements by DG EMPL, and will include a series of photographs of handing over the award. This session will be of most interest to microfinance practitioners.

18:30-21:00 Networking cocktail and mobile exhibition

Just outside the room for the award ceremonies, there will be a cocktail reception where the attendees can meet and network. Alongside this session there will be a large mobile exhibition which gives an “introduction to microcredit” – you will see the large, illustrated panels surrounding the event area.

19:00-20:00 Belgian Entrepreneurship Awards

The Belgian microfinance organisations (Credal, Hefboom, MicroStart) have joined forces to organise a competition amongst their clients, electing “best-in-class” entrepreneurs for a number of different categories. The nominated entrepreneurs will attend this event and will discover whether they have won during the ceremony.