This study focused on support to private corporate sector development in Morocco and Tunisia, through improving its access to finance. Given the important role of finance in stimulating private sector productivity and growth, this project aimed to achieve a better understanding of the private corporate sector’s current access to finance and unmet needs. In this respect, the specific objective of this assignment was threefold:
• Firstly, to obtain a detailed overview of the existing situation, as regards the composition of the private corporate sector and its main characteristics in terms of financing requirements (“the demand side”);
• Secondly, to provide an up-to-date information on the main characteristics of the Moroccan and Tunisian financial sector serving this private sector, including an overview of existing forms of financial intermediation in terms of products and intermediaries (“the supply side”);
• Third, to assess the gaps existing between financing needs and financing requirements. In particular, areas of possible EIB intervention to provide risk-capital financing to viable small to medium-sized firms should be identified.