📋 Tender Overview
Project ID: 56465
Status: Approved
Location: Morocco
Business Sector: Natural Resources
Notice Type: Private
Environmental Category: B
Approval Date: 13 May 2025
Disclosure date: 13 May 2025
Project Description
Provision of up to USD 25 million loan to Aya Gold & Silver Inc. to support its exploration programme at Boumadine. The transaction presents another opportunity to support the Company, which is an existing client of the EBRD via USD 100 million project finance loan provided for expansion and upgrade of Aya's Zgounder silver mine in Morocco.
Project Objectives
The project will enable to support an independent mining company in Morocco to diversify its portfolio and expand its production capabilities beyond the established Zgounder silver mine.
Transition Impact
ETI score:70
Transition Impact of the Project is expected to derive from the following qualities:
(i) Competitive: Through EBRD's SME Finance and Development Advice for Small Businesses team in Morocco, capacity building support and technical advice will be provided to seven of the client's local suppliers with the aim to improve their operational standards related to resource management and use of clean energy. This support will contribute to reducing Aya Gold & Silver's scope 3 emissions.
(ii) Inclusive (Employability): The Project will aim to expand access to crucial skills and training through partnership of the Company with local universities in the Draa-Tafilalet region to introduce new training modules, aligning academic curricula with business-critical skills needs in the growing mining sector, contributing to building a sustainable local talent pipeline for Aya and the broader mining sector, both in the short term (for exploration activities over the next two years) and the longer term (for the Boumadine site development and operations). The initiative will also be implemented with a view to boosting local recruitment and improve employee retention at Aya. These partnerships with universities will aim to align university curricula with industry needs, and to facilitate the launch of an apprenticeship programme, offering hands-on experience at Aya's Boumadine site for local university students.
