GEORGIAN AGRI-FOOD VALUE CHAINS

Loan to Georgia, to be on-lent through eligible financial institutions to final beneficiaries (APEX structure), for upgrade of the horticulture (incl. nuts) and wine sectors in the country across their entire respective value chains.

The EIB loan will primarily support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) along the targeted value chains. Key investment gaps to be addressed include replacement of old and unproductive plantations and development of post-harvest handling and cold storage infrastructure. The loan will also be available for investment in public sector infrastructure, such as testing laboratories and research and vocational training facilities that support production and marketing along these value chains.

The limited size of the sub-projects to be financed will ensure that any negative environmental and social impact is limited and can be managed with appropriate mitigation measures. National environmental legislation and the environmental and social due diligence capacity and procedures of financial intermediaries will be assessed in order to ensure compliance of the operation with the Bank's environmental and social policy, which is based on the principles of EU legislation.

The Bank will require the promoter(s) to ensure that implementation of the project will be done in accordance with the Bank's Guide to Procurement.

This operation is covered by the ELM Guarantee.