NEFI - Network of European Financial Institutions for SMEs: News

News from 26-02-2018

Meeting of European Development Banks in Luxembourg

On February 22nd and 23rd the Societé Nationale de Crédit et d'Investissement, Luxembourg hosted the workshop and permanent working group meeting of the Network of European Financial Institutions for SMEs (NEFI) in Luxembourg. The meeting was attended by 15 member institutions.

Beside the regular exchange of views and information the meeting focussed on the preparation of the NEFI High Level Meeting in Budapest in March 2018 at which the participants will discuss the next Multiannual Financial Framework with the EU-Commission and the EIB-Group, in particular the future of centrally managed EU financial instruments, simplification of EU rules governing financial and other instruments, especially in view of facilitating different sources of funding, and the future role of NPBIs, not least under the single EU guarantee fund to be created.

17-10-2017

ERDF 2014-2020: SMEs as well as large companies to reach EUR 73 Mio through ENERGY SAVINGS loan programme launched in September 2017

CMZRB and the Czech Ministry of Industry and trade signed an agreement enabling the launch of a new preferential loan programme within the framework of the OP Enterprise and Innovations for Competitiveness called “ENERGY SAVINGS – LOANS”. It is a first example of support including not only SMEs, but also a large companies. Basic aim is the improvement of energy efficiency in business sector.

ERDF: SMEs to reach EUR 326 Mio through EXPANSION Programme in the Czech Republic

The CMZRB and the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade signed an agreement enabling the launch of a new loan programme within the framework of the OP Enterprise and Innovations for Competitiveness called “EXPANSION”. It is a first example of financial instruments´ implementation in the programming period 2014-2020.

CMZRB becomes Shareholder of the European Investment Fund

The Czech-Moravian Guarantee and Development Bank (CMZRB) has purchased three shares of the European Investment Fund (EIF).

MCC conclude second COSME Agreement for the Italian Guarantee Fund for SMEs

The EIF is providing a COSME counter-guarantee that will enable Fondo di Garanzia per le PMI (the Italian Guarantee Fund for SMEs) to grant EUR 3.5 billion worth of financing to Italian SMEs over the next two years. 55 000 Italian SMEs are expected to benefit from the agreement.

BBB signs InnovFin Agreement

The European Investment Fund (EIF) and the British Business Bank (BBB) have signed an InnovFin agreement to help SMEs in the UK access an estimated £30m (ca. EUR 35 Mio) in additional financing. This transaction benefits from the support of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI).

Bpifrance signs new guarantee agreement to the benefit of cultural and creative SMEs

Bpifrance and the European Investment Fund (EIF) signed the first guarantee agreement in France under the new Cultural and Creative Sectors Guarantee Facility from the EU's Creative Europe programme.

EIF and CMZRB sign extension of COSME agreement

An extension of the COSME agreement signed between the European Investment Fund and the Czech-Moravian Guarantee and Development Bank in December 2016 enables to guarantee loans for small entrepreneurs in an additional amount of EUR 370m (CZK 10bn) during next two years.

SBCI and EIF sign first COSME agreement in Ireland

The European Investment Fund (EIF) and the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) have signed the first COSME agreement in Ireland. This transaction is guaranteed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the heart of the Investment Plan for Europe.

Meeting of European Development Banks in Prague

After two years the Czech-Moravian Guarantee and Development Bank hosted again the workshop and permanent working group meeting of the Network of European Financial Institutions for SMEs (NEFI) in Prague. The discussion focused in particular on the topic of financial instruments.

European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) launched in Germany

The first German project from the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), also known as the "Juncker fund", has been launched today at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

Czech Republic: CMZRB and EIF signed COSME agreement to support SMEs

The European Investment Fund (EIF) and Czech-Moravian Guarantee and Development Bank have signed the first COSME agreement – an EU funding programme for SMEs – in the Czech Republic. The deal benefits from the support of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) through which the Investment Plan for Europe is being deployed by the European Commission and the EIB Group.

BDB to invest in EIF's Social Impact Accelerator Initiative

The Bulgarian Development Bank (BDB) has agreed to invest in EIF's Social Impact Accelerator Initiative (SIA). The Initiative is oriented towards a public-private partnership for investments in SMEs with important social impact. BDB has committed to invest EUR 1 million into the Initiative along with Deutsche Bank and Credit Cooperatif. This investment contributes to diversifying SIA’s source of funding, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, including Bulgaria, which is still a comparably young and undeveloped market for social enterprises and social funds.

Investment Plan for Europe: EIF and BGK sign first COSME agreement in Europe to benefit Polish businesses

The European Investment Fund (EIF) and Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) have signed the first COSME transaction benefitting from the support of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) through which the Investment Plan for Europe is being deployed by the European Commission and the EIB Group. The agreement will provide BGK with a counter-guarantee allowing the organisation to support PLN 1,000 million (ca. EUR 250 million) of loans to SMEs in Poland over the next two years.

Seven NEFI members to contribute to the success of the EU Investment Plan

Bulgaria has announced that it will contribute €100 million to projects benefiting from finance by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI). The contribution will be made through co-financing of projects approved by the Bulgarian Development Bank. Bulgaria is the 7th NEFI member country after Germany, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Poland and Slovakia to announce a contribution through its National Promotional Banks.

ICO and EIB: 2,800 million Euros to support Spanish companies

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO) have signed three loan operations amounting to a total of EUR 1,250 million and USD 150 million. The largest credit, amounting to EUR 1,000 million, is a credit line that aims to improve access to financing on favourable terms regarding time-frames and prices, for projects implemented by SMEs and mid-caps (firms with up to 3,000 employees), and mainly in the industrial and services sectors.

Bpifrance and EIF sign agreement to support innovative French SMEs and mid-caps

Bpifrance and EIF have signed a new financial agreement to increase lending to innovative SMEs and mid-caps in France thanks to the guarantee financed from the EU budget under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI). This is the first financial transaction in Europe to benefit from an EU guarantee under EFSI and will enable Bpifrance to help finance innovative businesses in France for a total amount of EUR 420m over the next two years.

Luxembourg Future Fund kicks off

SNCI and the European Investment Fund have set up the Luxembourg Future Fund (LFF). This EUR 150M fund to which EIF contributes EUR 30M and SNCI EUR 120M, will be deployed over a five year period and will focus on innovative European SMEs. LFF aims to stimulate the diversification and sustainable development of the Luxemburgish economy by attracting foreign entrepreneurs and early to later stage innovative businesses into Luxembourg.

Five NEFI members to contribute to the success of the EU Investment Plan

Today Poland became the latest Member State to announce that it will contribute €8 billion to projects to be financed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), which is at the heart of the €315 billion Investment Plan for Europe. Poland is now the sixth country, and fifth NEFI member country, to announce a contribution through its National Promotional Bank, BGK. In February, Germany announced that it would contribute €8 billion to the Investment Plan through KfW. Likewise, Spain announced a €1.5 billion contribution through Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO). In March, France declared a €8 billion pledge through Caisse des Dépôts (CDC) and Bpifrance and Italy said it will contribute €8 billion via Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP). In April Luxembourg announced that it will contribute €80 million via Société Nationale de Crédit et d’Investissement (SNCI).

EUR 290m in EU support for SMEs in Austria following EIF and aws agreement

The European Investment Fund (EIF) and Austria Wirtschaftsservice (aws) have signed the first COSME and InnovFin SME Guarantee agreements with funding from the European Union to support Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Mid-caps in Austria. The COSME agreement will provide aws with a counter-guarantee allowing the organisation to increase its available guarantee volumes to SMEs with limited collateral to EUR 170m over the next 2 years.

KfW and BGK conclude EUR 100 million global loan agreement to support Polish SME sector

KfW has concluded a global loan agreement in the amount of EUR 100 million with the State Development Bank of Poland - Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK). The loan has a term of approximately 10 years. The funds will be used to finance long-term investment loans for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in Poland. As one of the most important suppliers for investment in capital goods, the German economy also stands to benefit indirectly from an improved investment climate in Poland.

Almi and EIF sign the first InnovFin SME guarantee agreement in Sweden under Horizon 2020

Almi and EIF sign the first InnovFin SME guarantee agreement in Sweden under Horizon 2020 to finance innovative companies. The European Investment Fund (EIF) and Almi Företagspartner (Almi) have signed an agreement to increase lending to innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as Small Mid-caps under InnovFin – EU finance for innovators, an initiative supported by the European Commission.

New SME financing agreement between ICO and EIB

EIB has granted a EUR 1bn loan to ICO to provide investment financing for SMEs and Mid-caps in Spain. The EIB loan will provide SMEs and mid-sized companies with long-term finance for their investment projects and credit lines on favourable terms. The underlying sub-loans will finance investment projects in Spain up to EUR 25 million in the case of SMEs and up to EUR 50 million in the case of mid-sized companies.

NEFI members gathered in Spain to discuss new ways of cooperation with EU bodies

The top management representatives from NEFI member institutions held their biannual High Level Meeting in Madrid. The meeting served as a forum to discuss existing partnerships between NEFI members and EU institutions, and to explore new ways in which the current collaboration can be extended and reinforced. Participants at the meeting also included the Vice President of the EIB, Mr Román Escolano, the Chief Executive of the EIF, Mr Pier Luigi Gilibert, and the European Commission's Director for Finance, coordination with EIB group, EBRD and IFIs, Mr Burkhard Schmidt.

HBOR and EIF signed the CIP Guarantee Agreement in Croatia

Hrvatska banka za obnovu i razvitak (HBOR) and the European Investment Fund (EIF) signed the Guarantee Agreement under CIP with the goal to encourage commercial banks to extend loans to micro-entrepreneurs, especially start-ups. Following the agreement, small companies will have easier access to loan funds due to significantly lower collateral requirements.

Finnvera joins The Montreal Group

Finnvera has become a member of The Montreal Group, a global forum for state-owned development banks focused on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. The Montreal Group has now eight members from eight different countries around the world: Canada, Brazil, France, China, Mexico, India, Russia and Finland. The Group’s name is derived from the city in which it was founded – Montreal, Canada – in 2012.

ALMI signed first Progress Microfinance agreement in Sweden for micro-enterprises

Almi Företagspartner AB (Almi) and the European Investment Fund (EIF) have signed a guarantee agreement aimed at supporting around 230 micro-enterprises within a year in five counties in Sweden. This agreement will allow Almi to provide enhanced access to finance to entrepreneurs in Sweden, especially those who face difficulties in accessing credit from traditional banking sources.

New Finnvera financing programme for SMEs seeking international growth

Under the Team Finland LetsGrow financing programme, companies can receive loans from Finnvera for investments and working capital, grants from Tekes for innovation services and advice from Finpro for international growth. The programme is intended for growth-seeking SMEs with good financial standing and a turnover of between 5 and 50 million euros.

A new office for Bpifrance in Brussels

On 26 March 2014, Bpifrance opened a new office in the Representation it shares with Caisse des Dépôts in Brussels. The inauguration was attended by Michel Barnier, European Commissioner for Internal Market & Financial Services, Mr Philippe Etienne, Ambassador and France’s permanent representative to the European Union, and Florence Mangin, in charge of institutional relations and European and international cooperation at Caisse des Dépôts. Bpifrance plans to promote its know-how in the wider European setting and contribute to implementing European public policies.

HBOR signed EUR 400 million loan agreement with EIB to support SMEs and MidCaps

European Investment Bank (EIB) provides two loans to the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (HBOR - Hrvatska banka za obnovu i razvitak) totalling 400 million Euros. Both loans will contribute to implementing projects in the areas of industry services, tourism and other priority sectors. They will be combined with EU grant support provided by the European Commission under the Energy Efficiency Finance Facility in order to foster projects contributing to an increase of energy efficiency and energy savings in Croatia.

First RSI counter-guarantee agreement for innovative businesses signed in Austria

The European Investment Fund (EIF) and Austria Wirtschaftsservice (aws) have signed the first counter-guarantee agreement in Europe with a promotional institution to support lending to innovative SMEs as well as Small Mid-Caps under an initiative funded by the European Commission. The new agreement enables AWS to provide guarantees to banks financing innovative companies which in turn give them access to additional financing at favourable conditions.

SID Bank signed EUR 350 million loan agreement with the EIB to support SMEs and mid-caps

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is granting two loans to the Slovene Export and Development Bank. EUR 300 million to support smaller projects promoted usually by SMEs and mid-cap companies and EUR 50 million to co-finance investments in the sectors of energy efficiency and renewable energy implemented by public and private companies and natural persons.

ICO signs a EUR 300 million loan with CEB

Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO) and the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) signed a Framework Loan Agreement for a EUR 300 million loan aimed at financing eligible productive investment projects and related working capital requirements in SMEs.

KredEx will start financing export transactions

KredEx will start issuing loans to companies also wishing to offer financing under large scale export transactions of goods produced in Estonia. The export loan enables companies to offer a long payment term to a foreign buyer, and finance the production of the goods sold to a foreign buyer, if necessary. A prerequisite for issuing the loan is insurance of credit and political risk related to the buyer.

Finnvera to offer new export credit guarantee in co-operation with NEFCO

Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) will begin offering export credits for small-scale projects with environmental benefits in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. The exporter will get the contract price on cash terms, whereas Finnvera's export credit guarantee enables NEFCO to grant the export credit in order to finance the purchase of Finnish goods.

CMZRB supports pro-export guarantees

Based on an agreement between the Czech-Moravian Guarantee and Development Bank (CMZRB) and the Czech Export Bank (CEB), CMZRB is newly authorized to assist SMEs applying for guarantees issued by the CEB. The guarantees will enable sub-contractors of exporters to receive bank loans for financing their operational needs.

AWS signs CIP counter guarantee agreement with EIF

AWS and the European Investment Fund (EIF) have signed a counter guarantee agreement in the framework of the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP). Under the terms of the agreement, aws will be able to provide guarantees to business start-ups and SMEs ranging from € 30,000 to € 2.5 million. The guarantee volume to be provided with a CIP counter guarantee totals € 180 million until the end of 2014.

Bpifrance and EIF sign EUR 200 million agreement to support innovative businesses in France

Bpifrance and the European Investment Fund (EIF) have signed a guarantee agreement to support lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) under the Risk Sharing Instrument (RSI), a joint initiative of the European Investment Bank Group and the European Commission.

KfW and ICO sign global loan agreement for Spanish SME sector

At its meeting on 4th July 2013, the KfW Board of Directors approved a EUR 800 million global loan negotiated between KfW and the Spanish development bank ICO. The loan will provide financing for the Spanish SME sector. The KfW global loan to ICO will strengthen the Spanish development bank’s refinancing base. ICO will pass the loan funds on to Spanish SMEs through their principal banks as low-interest loans, and thereby significantly improve their access to credit.

BDB signed a EUR 10 million credit with the Hungarian EXIM Bank

Bulgarian Development Bank received a EUR 10 million credit line from Hungarian Exim Bank. The funds under the Agreement will be used for financing of Hungarian projects and import of Hungarian goods in Bulgaria. They are provided for a period of 2 to 5 years. The financial resource may be used by companies in the field of agriculture, ecology, healthcare, energy, transport and utility services.

New SME financing agreement between ICO and EIB

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a EUR 500 million loan agreement with the Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO) designed to boost the amount of credit available to SMEs and midcaps (companies with up to 3 000 employees), mainly in the industrial and service sectors.

SME financing agreement between BDB and the IIB

Bulgarian Development Bank was granted a EUR 20 million loan from the International Investment Bank for the financing of SMEs in Bulgaria. The funding is provided for a period of 7 years and can be used for direct lending to Bulgarian SMEs, as well as for financing of programs supporting SME business, implemented by commercial banks.

KfW and ICO sign cooperation agreement to promote the exchange of personnel

Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO) and the German KfW Bankengruppe (KfW) signed a cooperation agreement in Frankfurt. The agreement aims to renew and expand the exchange of personnel and experts between the two specialised credit institutions. The agreement is highly important as it will enable KfW and ICO to share and promote the best practices they are developing in their respective countries under the current economic climate.

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