Who we are

REDI exists so that Roma-owned businesses can access the same financiers, markets, and growth opportunities as any other entrepreneur.

REDI — the Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative — is an ecosystem builder dedicated to the economic empowerment and financial inclusion of Roma entrepreneurs across Europe.

02About REDI

REDI leadership, international partners, and entrepreneurs at the Berlin Summit

Active in 7 presence countries (Romania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Belgium, Turkey, and Slovakia), REDI combines field facilitation, specialized financial vehicles, business clubs, and digital transformation.

The Roma Economic Development Initiative (REDI) is an ecosystem builder focused on developing tools that increase the economic empowerment of vulnerable communities.

REDI started in Romania in 2016 from a core observation: micro-enterprises run by Roma exist in high numbers across Europe, yet remain invisible to traditional financial institutions and formal supply chains due to perceived risk and systemic discrimination.

Over the past decade (2016–2026), REDI created an end-to-end economic infrastructure: founding the non-profit network in 2016, establishing the REDI Fund microfinance institution in Luxembourg in 2019 in partnership with the European Investment Fund (EIF) and Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), creating regional REDI Business Clubs, launching the Roma Digital Boost methodology in 2020, and establishing the REDI Recycling social enterprise in Skopje (2021) to formalize informal waste pickers into green jobs.

To date, REDI has mapped over 3,600 Roma entrepreneurs, provided over 35,000 hours of business coaching, facilitated over 2,500 credit applications, trained 130 Roma entrepreneurs, digitalized 90 businesses, and placed 40 trained Roma financial specialists inside banking and microfinance institutions across Europe.

03Objectives and tools

Integrated tools for economic growth

REDI operates through three synchronized pillars to connect Roma entrepreneurs with European financial markets:

Field facilitators and mapping

Our network of business facilitators identifies eligible micro-enterprises in communities, assesses their bankability, and connects them directly with partner financial institutions.

Roma credit specialists in banks

We train and place young Roma financial professionals (credit officers and risk analysts) inside partner banks and MFIs, ensuring unbiased risk assessment and cultural competence.

REDI Business Clubs across CEE

Resource hubs enabling Roma entrepreneurs to cross-link businesses, share e-commerce tools, access joint procurement, and advocate for fair commercial terms.

Green and digital transformation

Deploying Roma Digital Boost to transition market vendors to online commerce, and scaling REDI Recycling to convert informal collection into formal green employment.

04Milestones (2016 – 2026)

A decade of building economic infrastructure

2016

REDI NGO founded

Established in Bucharest, Romania to make Roma entrepreneurs visible and eligible for formal financing.

2018

Roma Business Clubs

Launched regional business hubs to foster peer learning, trust, and joint commercial initiatives among local entrepreneurs.

2019

REDI Fund Luxembourg

Pioneered Europe’s first dedicated Roma microfinance vehicle backed by public guarantees from the EU, EIF, and CEB.

2020

Roma Digital Boost

Developed e-commerce methodology and digital skills to help traditional market traders transition to online sales.

2021

REDI Recycling social enterprise

Founded the Skopje social enterprise to formalize informal waste collection work into dignified green jobs.

2024–2026

Pan-European network across 7 countries

Expanded operations to 7 presence countries with 29 network partners across 15 European nations.

05Mission statement

REDI is committed to transforming the paradigm of economic development in Roma communities: shifting from passive relief to sustainable entrepreneurship, venture capital access, and active participation in Europe’s digital and green economy.