10 May New funding for SMBs

More than 1 billion Euros in funding for Italian SMBs: this is the result of the agreement between the European Investment Fund (EIF) and the Guarantee Fund for SMBs signed a matter of days ago at the Ministry for Economic Development.

Approximately 20 thousand Italian SMBs will benefit. The objective is to facilitate

 access to funding for micro, small and medium European businesses, the heart of the productive fabric of the Union. «Italy is greatly committed to concluding the funding conventions for SMBs within the framework of the Investments Plan- declares Jyrki Katainen, vice president of the European Commission- the number of conventions stipulated in Italy exceeds those concluded in other Member States. It is a particularly positive development as SMBs are the backbone of the Italian economy and must not be hindered in accessing the necessary funding for their projects».

The European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) is part of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and represents the springboard for the Investments Plan for Europe, which will support the SMBs through a contract of counter-guarantee (COSME, a EU programme for the competitiveness of businesses and SMBs) within the framework whereby the Italian Guarantee Fund will support SMBs through Trusts.