MFR provides independent ratings, certifications and high quality information aiming at enhancing transparency, facilitating investments and promoting responsible practices of the sector worldwide. MFR clients are mainly investors, regulators and banks (mostly in microfinance, SME and digital finance), working to achieve financial inclusion and sustainable development.
Created in 2000 within the mother company MicroFinanza Srl, MFR was spun off as an independent company in 2006. Headquartered in Italy, MFR operates through a network of regional (Ecuador, Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic) and country offices (Bolivia, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines) across 4 continents, boasting a vast geographical coverage. Visit our regional pages to learn more.
Our vision is to contribute to the development of a responsible and more transparent inclusive and sustainable finance industry while being at the forefront of the most innovative trends to benefit the underserved.
Our mission is to provide the inclusive and sustainable finance industry worldwide with independent ratings, certifications and high quality information services, aiming at enhancing transparency, facilitating investments and promoting responsible practices.
As of December 2019, MFR has conducted more than 2,400 assignments in 106 countries worldwide.
MFR was the first specialized rating agency to be licensed by a Regulatory and Supervisory Authority to carry out mandatory ratings and it is the only one to have more than one license:
Over time, MFR has been accredited by:
Active partner of industry initiatives:
Ecuador local regulator
Credit Rating of regulated financial institutions (FIs)
since 2008
Bolivia local regulator
Credit Rating, Social Rating and Issue Rating of regulated FIs specialized in microfinance
since 2014
Philippines local regulator
Microfinance Institutions Rating Agency (MIRA)
MFR’s track record comprises partnerships with a variety of industry stakeholders, including private MIVs, DFIs and donors, holdings, specialized hedging facilities:
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Read through MFR’s Code of Ethics.
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