From the EIB and Banca Ifis and 300 million euros to support the innovative investments of SMEs and Mid caps | TPI

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Banca Ifis have signed an agreement aimed at making 300 million euros of new finance available to support innovative 4.0 investments by SMEs and Mid caps.

The agreement provides for an EIB loan with a nominal value of 150 million euros in favor of Banca Ifis, mainly intended for leasing financing aimed at promoting innovative initiatives within the “National Transition 4.0 Plan”. On the basis of the signed agreement, Banca Ifis will guarantee the disbursement of a further ceiling of the same amount, making a total of 300 million euros available to companies.

This is the fifth agreement between Banca Ifis and the EIB and the first operation ever carried out by the European Union Bank with an Italian banking institution to fully support the innovative transition of small and medium-sized enterprises. With this operation, the EIB and Banca Ifis thus reach the figure of 700 million euros of total investments activated in the last 4 years.

“Small and medium-sized businesses play a fundamental role in the economy. In addition to creating jobs, they are companies that tend to invest more in research and development and adopt emerging technologies,” says Gelsomina Vigliotti, Vice President of the European Investment Bank. “Thanks to the consolidated experience with Banca Ifis, further strengthened with this operation, we aim to facilitate access to credit for SMEs with the aim of promoting innovation and stimulating the country's competitiveness.”

“We are happy to continue our collaboration with the European Investment Bank by establishing a new fund entirely dedicated to supporting the innovative transition of Italian small and medium-sized enterprises. The fact that a prestigious and authoritative institution like the EIB has chosen us as a partner to give life to the first project of this type represents an important recognition of our ability to intercept and satisfy the needs of companies that need to accelerate the path of innovation to remain competitive on international markets”, declares Ernesto Fürstenberg Fassio, President of Banca Ifis.

In detail, the EIB will grant Banca Ifis a credit line of 150 million euros lasting 18 months through the signing of two contracts of 75 million euros each. At the same time, Banca Ifis will make available to the Italian market a sum of the same amount intended for the same type of investments. Both SMEs (businesses with up to a maximum of 249 employees at a consolidated level) and Mid caps (businesses with up to a maximum of 2,999 employees at a consolidated level) will be able to access the new credit line, with more advantageous interest rates. who need to finance investments in innovation or the purchase of innovative goods envisaged in the “National Transition Plan 4.0” of the Government, also in the context of financial leasing operations with a minimum duration of 24 months.