The European Commission informs that InvestEU: EIF and UniCredit sign agreements to direct €1 billion to small businesses in seven Central and Eastern European countries.

The EIF will provide two guarantees worth approximately €370 million to UniCredit Group to finance approximately €1 billion in investments by small businesses in seven Central and Eastern European countries.

These agreements were made possible with the support of the InvestEU programme. Up to 2,500 small and medium-sized businesses are expected to benefit from greater access to finance.

The EIF-UniCredit agreements aim to boost financing in the areas of sustainability, innovation, digitalisation, culture, creativity, education and social investment.

The European Investment Fund (EIF), part of the EIB Group, provides UniCredit Group with two guarantees worth 370 million euros to stimulate investments made by small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in seven EU countries, including Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary.

The transactions are supported by InvestEU, the European Union's long-term financing program to support sustainable investment, innovation and job creation in Europe, which aims to mobilize at least €372 billion in investment for EU priorities by in 2027.

The EIF guarantees backed by InvestEU will enable UniCredit to grant loans on favorable terms to 2,500 SMEs and small and medium-sized businesses in Europe and mobilize around €1 billion of investment in the real economy. The resources will be used mainly for investments that contribute to the green and digital transition, but also to boost the cultural, educational and social sectors.

Under UniCredit's green lending strategy, loans will also be granted to housing associations and individuals for their own investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency in residential buildings, as well as to promote the development of sustainable mobility.

The European Commissioner for the Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, said: "InvestEU is a key tool for supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe. Thanks to this agreement, businesses in Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia will be able to speed up their transition towards a greener and more digital economy, for example by investing in the energy efficiency of residential buildings. We are proud to provide the necessary support to businesses in these countries to achieve this goal and create jobs."

"The excellent relationship between the EIB Group and the UniCredit Group is key to reaching as many small businesses as possible in Central and Eastern Europe, ensuring that they have the resources to invest in a brighter, more sustainable and more innovative future ", said EIF President Gelsomina Vigliotti. "

This operation once again demonstrates the EIF's commitment to facilitate access to finance for Europe's 23 million small and medium-sized enterprises, which represent 99% of all businesses and provide around three quarters of all jobs in the European Union."

UniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel added: "Securing sustainable financing to fuel social investment and innovation is a critical aspect of our commitment to improve the social aspect of the three dimensions of environment, people and governance (ESG) in every way possible .

Over the past ten years, our collaboration with the EIB Group has enabled easier access to finance for more than 12,000 small and medium-sized enterprises in Central and Eastern Europe. Our strong presence and local networks in the region meant that, in strategic partnership with the EIF and the EIB Group, we received the largest allocation of InvestEU guarantees in the region.

This will allow us to deliver even more for our customers as we continually strive to fulfill our goal of empowering communities to thrive."

Additional Information

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is part of the European Investment Bank Group. Its core mission is to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe by facilitating access to finance. The EIF is also active in supporting climate and infrastructure investments with a strong focus on environmental sustainability. Through its role, the EIF supports the EU's objectives to support innovation, research and development, entrepreneurship, economic growth and employment.

The InvestEU program provides the European Union with essential long-term financing by mobilizing significant private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery. It also helps mobilize private investment for the European Union's political priorities, such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition.

The InvestEU program brings together under its umbrella the multitude of EU financial instruments currently available to support investment in the European Union, making financing for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The program consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub and the InvestEU Portal.

The InvestEU fund is implemented through financial partners who will invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of 26.2 billion euros. The full budget guarantee will support the investment projects of the implementing partners, increase their risk-bearing capacity and thus mobilize at least €372 billion in additional investment.

UniCredit is a Pan-European Commercial Bank with a unique offer of services in Italy, Germany, Central and Eastern Europe.

Our objective is to support communities to grow by providing the best services for all stakeholders, unlocking the potential of our customers and employees across Europe. We serve over 15 million customers worldwide.

They are at the heart of what we do in all our markets. UniCredit is organized in four basic regions and two product centers: solutions for companies and individuals. This allows us to be close to our customers and use the capabilities of the whole Group to develop and offer the best products in all our markets.