The impact of microfinance, hence the sustainable changes it creates in the living conditions of a specific target group, is an increasingly debated issue. In the context of financial crisis and reduction in public spending, practitioners and public authorities can no longer afford not to question the effectiveness of microfinance and more specifically that of subsidized microcredit. Is the impact on the beneficiary sustainable? Could we have obtained equal or better results with other mechanisms? How efficient is the professional microcredit in comparison with other mechanisms aiming at creating jobs?

Given the important support granted to beneficiaries of professional microcredit in the setting up of their activities, these questions are even more relevant in developed countries, where it is now necessary to measure the impact of professional microcredit, beyond simply the question of access to funds.