• The EIB and Pekao Leasing have signed a €68 million loan agreement to accelerate the sustainable growth of SMEs, mid-caps and public sector entities.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Pekao Leasing, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank Pekao S.A., have strengthened their long-standing collaboration by signing an agreement totalling €68 million. The EIB loan will enable Pekao Leasing to extend new financing to support the sustainable growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), mid-caps and Polish public sector entities.

20% of the total investment will be channelled towards the green projects of Polish companies, underscoring the joint commitment of the two institutions to environmental responsibility.

EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska said: “Supporting climate action and sustainable development is a key priority for the EIB, and the recent agreement with Pekao Leasing marks a significant step in this direction. Through this financing arrangement, Polish SMEs and mid-caps will be able to increase their green investments to make them more competitive on national and international markets.”

“Pekao Group has been cooperating with the European Investment Bank for years, supporting Polish companies and the Polish economic transition. Another high-value Pekao Leasing agreement with the EIB provides further funds for the modernisation of Polish small and medium-sized companies and their sustainable development,” said Leszek Skiba, chief executive officer of Bank Pekao S.A.

“Pekao Leasing has very good experience in cooperating with international financial institutions. We use the funds obtained mainly to finance investments by small and medium enterprises to meet their needs for modern machinery. Based on the huge increase in financing provided to clients by Pekao Leasing in recent quarters, we are confident that the funds from the EIB will quickly reach Polish entrepreneurs, especially those planning investments to reduce CO2 emissions and increase energy efficiency in production processes,” said Krzysztof Zgorzelski, president of the Management Board of Pekao Leasing.

In 2022, the EIB Group provided €695 million in financing for Polish SMEs and mid-caps, facilitating support for 69 192 companies and sustaining 650 888 jobs. Between 2018 and 2022, EIB Group support for entrepreneurs in Poland reached €7.03 billion.

Background information

The EIB is one of the world’s main financiers of climate action and environmental sustainability. In 2022, the volume of EIB financing that was devoted to climate action and environmental sustainability projects increased to €36.5 billion, which was 58% of the total. As the EU climate bank, the EIB is committed to supporting the European Green Deal, helping Europe to become the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050, and helping to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In 2022, EIB loans supporting the green transformation of the Polish economy made up 49% of all loans in Poland, out of a total of €5.45 billion.