Second-tier Government Banks and Firm Performance: Micro-Evidence from Colombia

Despite the large potential gains from credit by second-tier development banks, little is known about the actual impact of these banks' lending activity. This study partially fills that gap by analyzing the impact of the lending activity of Bancoldex, the Colombian second-tier development bank, on firm performance. The evaluation uses data over a several-year period on loans granted to firms by Bancoldex and on performance for all manufacturing establishments with 10 or more employees.