• Partnership targets financing, financial inclusion, business formalization

• Pilot formalized 343 firms; nationwide programme targets 5,000 businesses

Equity BCDC, the Congolese subsidiary of Kenyan banking group Equity Group, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Special Fund for the Promotion of Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment (FSPEEJ) on December 27, 2025, the bank said in a statement. The agreement aims to boost financing and support for microenterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises, mostly run by young entrepreneurs in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The bank said the memorandum formalizes the two parties’ intention to work together to facilitate access to financing for these businesses nationwide, while providing technical support focused on financial inclusion and financial education. No timeline has been set for a definitive agreement.

For Equity BCDC, the initiative is part of its strategy to promote socio-economic prosperity. For the FSPEEJ, the planned collaboration represents a “major step in consolidating the entrepreneurial ecosystem for young Congolese.”

During the signing ceremony, the institution handed over business formalization documents to several young entrepreneurs. The move is seen as essential, enabling them to access formal finance, partnerships and structured markets.

The formalization drive resulted from a collaboration between the FSPEEJ and the One-Stop Shop for Business Creation (GUCE). The beneficiaries, mainly from Kinshasa and Matadi in Kongo Central province, make up the program’s first cohort.

Initially planned for 500 businesses, the pilot phase led to the formalization of 343 entrepreneurs. According to the FSPEEJ, this first cohort signals the start of a nationwide effort to professionalize and sustain youth-led entrepreneurial initiatives.

Launched on November 15, 2025, the program aims to formalize 5,000 businesses run by young people across all provinces of the DRC, divided into ten cohorts.

Created in 2018, the FSPEEJ’s mandate is to mobilize financial resources and deploy mechanisms to promote youth entrepreneurship, employment access and project financing. The fund operates through loans, guarantees, participatory financing and equity investments in high-potential projects.

Ronsard Luabeya