EBRD and Banca Transilvania Support Grants €25.3 Million Loan to Sameday

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is facilitating access to financing for the Romanian parcel delivery operator Sameday through a risk-sharing agreement with Banca Transilvania. Through EBRD’s Risk Sharing Framework (RSF), Banca Transilvania provides a €25.3 million loan to support its medium-term investment plan. Under this agreement, EBRD assumes 65% of the credit risk of Banca Transilvania in this transaction.

The collaboration highlights the commitment of EBRD and Banca Transilvania to support the growth of Romanian companies, particularly by focusing on funding innovative solutions and the digitalization of services.

Sameday offers a full range of 24-hour delivery services, including delivery and returns through easybox. The investment by EBRD and Banca Transilvania will enable the expansion of the Sameday easybox locker network in Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria, adding over 2,500 new lockers in urban and rural areas.

Recently, there has been a growing demand for contactless delivery to easybox lockers due to the convenience of automated parcel delivery. According to Sameday’s recent studies in Romania, 86% of online shoppers in urban areas use the easybox delivery and return service. Regarding delivery preferences, 48% of respondents favor easybox, compared to 28% for home delivery, confirming that people are beginning to appreciate the flexibility and control offered by easyboxes, as they are available 24/7 and within a 5-minute walk in Romanian cities. This delivery method is more cost-effective for both online retailers and consumers and has a lower environmental impact. Expanding the Sameday locker network will enable cheaper and more sustainable e-commerce deliveries in the country, benefiting consumers and local businesses in Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria selling online. Sameday currently operates 4,960 easybox lockers in the three countries where the company operates.

Sameday is part of Dante International S.A., a major online retailer in Romania that operates the eMAG e-commerce platform, with subsidiaries in Hungary and Bulgaria.

Banca Transilvania is Romania’s largest bank and the main financier of the economy, serving all customer segments and business lines in the financial sector.

Supporting private sector growth is a key priority in EBRD’s work in Romania. So far, EBRD has invested over €10.5 billion in 517 projects in the country, with the majority of projects in the private sector.