OREANDA-NEWS. Center-invest Bank ranks among the top ten Russian banks by value of lending to small enterprises and sole traders, and in 12th place for lending to medium-sized enterprises. 1

Reviewing its work with SMEs and sole traders, Center-invest Bank notes that in the first nine months of 2014 it delivered balanced growth for all of its indicators, expanded the geographical reach of the Youth Business loan programme, and continued to promote sustainable economic development in southern Russia.

The bank made 4391 loans to SMEs for a total of RUB51.5bn.

300 start-ups received a total of RUB350m in loans from Center-invest Bank. The finance was provided on preferential terms.

Under the bank's special loan programme for women in business, 165 business ladies received finance totalling RUB173.4m, which enabled them to take their businesses to a new level.

Energy efficiency lending in Q1-Q3 2014 totalled RUB1443m. Center-invest Bank's total lending for energy efficiency projects in southern Russia to date is RUB9bn.

On 11 September Center-invest Bank announced the launch of the Youth Business Russia programme in Krasnodar Krai. This was preceded by the signing of a multilateral agreement on cooperation by the bank, the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) and the company Delovaya Rossiya.