Group photo; Credit: Elza Osmane, Chronicle.lu

On Thursday 20 November 2025, microlux held the third edition of the "My Microbusiness” competition awards ceremony at the headquarters of BGL BNP Paribas.

The aim of the event was to highlight small entrepreneurs supported by microlux and to recognise their projects and progress.

The evening gathered almost 100 attendees, including partners from BGL BNP Paribas, Foyer Group, The Human Safety Net Luxembourg, ADA - Appui au Développement Autonome and L’Essentiel.

The programme opened with welcome remarks from Béatrice Belorgey, Chair of the Executive Committee of BGL BNP Paribas, who noted that microlux has awarded credits to hundreds of entrepreneurs in recent years. She added: “Microlux has already awarded five million in credits to 300 entrepreneurs over the years, which is a lot, and the figure which is also very important is that 38% of the credits awarded have been awarded to women entrepreneurs.”

This was followed by an address from the First Government Counsellor at the Ministry of the Economy, Gilles Scholtus, who underlined the public support for the initiative. He said: “Microlux serves a non-negotiable part of the market and the potential for its work in Luxembourg is certainly present.”

Senior Economist Michel-Edouard Ruben then delivered a presentation entitled “Some reflections on self-employment”. He explained that the share of self-employment in Luxembourg stands at 8%, which is lower than the European Union (EU) average of 13%. However, he noted that this low rate is not a weakness but a sign of a strong labour market, comparable to countries such as Austria, Germany and Denmark. He stressed that in countries where self-employment exceeds the level of 16% or even 20%, people are often pushed into independent work because wage employment is less stable and social protections are weaker.

The programme continued with short introductions of the four microentrepreneurs, followed by the award ceremony.

Invited on stage, the winners emotionally shared their entrepreneurial journeys. Selected by the competition’s partners - BGL BNP Paribas, Foyer, the Human Safety Net foundation and - from among nineteen projects pre-selected by microlux, each received a prize of €3,500 to support the development of their business.

Sandra, owner of the “Bad Ass Rock Blues and Food”, located in Dudelange, received the BGL BNP Paribas prize. In her remarks, she described her journey towards independence: “There was fear and a lack of confidence but there was also this inner strength that said, you can do it.”

Fabio and Charlie, co-founders of the “Mov’Art” fitness centre in Bertrange, received the Foyer prize. They explained that being self-employed allowed them to work in their own way: “We couldn’t set up what we wanted or use our methods to really convey our passion [...] For us the biggest change is this side of freedom - being able to organise our work and support each other.”

Tima, who runs an African grocery store “Tima Bah Shop”, located in Esch-sur-Alzette, received the ADA prize. She shared that going independent had been a long-term dream. “Since I was a child, I’ve seen my grandparents helping others and working for themselves [...] I like to wake up in the morning and make my own choices, so I’m very happy to be independent.”

Mariela, creator of the Argentinian restaurant “Experiencias Deliciosas”, located in Luxembourg-Hollerich, received The Human Safety Net Luxembourg prize. Speaking about the project, she said: “It’s not easy to be behind a boss when you cannot put your own ideas in place [...] it’s something I believe in a lot, so I decided to do it.”

Mariela also received the "Coup de Coeur du Public" (Audience Favourite) award, organised by media partner L’Essentiel. She will receive communication support from the newspaper valued at €5,790.

The ceremony concluded with remarks from Anne Contreras-Muller, Chair of the Board of Directors of microlux, followed by a networking cocktail.

EO