Small businesses and rural entrepreneurs in Morocco will have easier access to funding after a new agreement between ARDI Microfinance and TAMWILCOM, signed during the 18th International Agricultural Exhibition in Morocco (SIAM) in Meknes.
The partnership focuses on very small enterprises, which often struggle to get bank loans even when they are growing. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of SIAM 2026, a major agricultural event in Morocco.
ARDI Microfinance, a subsidiary of Crédit Agricole du Maroc, is working with TAMWILCOM to make credit more accessible for small business owners, especially in early stages of development.
The plan relies on two existing systems.
The first is ARDI Mouakaba, a service that helps entrepreneurs from the moment they start a business until it becomes formally registered and structured.
The second comes from TAMWILCOM. It includes the Damane Microfinance guarantee and the Tamwil Microfinance fund. These tools are meant to help banks lend more easily by reducing risk.
The goal is to support entrepreneurs who are too big for microloans but still seen as too risky for standard bank financing.
By combining ARDI’s local support with TAMWILCOM’s guarantee system, the two institutions want to make lending more accessible and less risky for banks.
TAMWILCOM has recently boosted its capacity through a MAD 2.74 billion risk-sharing agreement with the International Finance Corporation, which gives it more ability to support microfinance projects.
This agreement is one of several signed by Crédit Agricole du Maroc during SIAM 2026. Others include partnerships with Italy’s Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
These deals are part of a broader effort to support agriculture and rural investment in Morocco.
The partnership also aims to help informal businesses become formal companies. Through ARDI Mouakaba, small entrepreneurs are encouraged to register and structure their activity.
Very small businesses play a major role in employment in Morocco. One of the biggest challenges they face is the lack of collateral required by banks. The Damane Microfinance system is designed to address this problem.
The deal comes during SIAM 2026, which focuses on sustainable livestock production and food security.
The idea is that better access to funding will help farmers and rural businesses invest in equipment and improve production. This supports wider national programmes like Green Morocco and Generation Green, which aim to strengthen the agricultural sector and improve local food supply.
