Albania's Ministry of Finance has formalized a new partnership with the Bank of Albania and the domestic banking system for the National Financing Programme for small and medium-sized enterprises, branded “Double Your Entrepreneurship”. The programme is intended to widen SME access to finance in underfinanced sectors and support investment in technological capacity, digitalization and energy efficiency. Initial funding support will come from the Bank of Albania's existing EUR 250 million credit line, which will be offered at low interest rates. This will run in parallel with a sovereign guarantee of about EUR 30 million that is already in place and will be extended beyond the agricultural sector to support SMEs more broadly. The ministry indicated that the sovereign guarantee will be increased gradually in line with SME demand and state budget capacity. Alongside the credit line and guarantee, the government will also offer grants to help SMEs prepare business plans and investment projects for submission to banks under the programme's financing line.