The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing PLN 420 million to Millennium Leasing Sp.z o.o. for financing small-scale investments ranging from EUR 10 000 to EUR 250 000. This operation will improve the access to long-term financing of Polish SMEs as well as of micro-enterprises with fewer than ten employees. The EIB funds will finance projects in the areas of services and industry.

This financial operation is structured as a purchase of senior asset based securities (ABS) that are backed by claims from leasing contracts originated by Millennium Leasing, a leading Polish leasing company. This structure is being used in Poland by the EIB for the second time and enables the Bank to be involved in financing SMEs by other means than by providing its funding via traditional intermediated loans.

This is the first EIB operation with Millennium Leasing and is being developed in cooperation with the European Investment Fund, which is involved in the ABS structure as a guarantor.

Background:

The prime objective of the EIB, the European Union’s long-term financing institution, is to contribute to the integration, balanced development and economic and social cohesion of the Member States by financing sound investment.

Support for SME investments represents one of the EIB’s lending priorities. SMEs are mostly very flexible, innovative and an important source of employment, particularly in rural and less developed regions. Since 1990 the EIB has provided in Poland intermediated loans financing the projects of SMEs and municipalities totalling approx. EUR 2.6 billion, representing 17% of the EIB’s total lending provided in the country (some EUR 15 billion).