- ABN AMRO has secured €250 million in EIB financing as part of a €500 million portfolio of new loans for Dutch SMEs.
- The loans are intended, in part, for investments in sustainability, in line with the green transition supported by the EIB as the EU climate bank.
ABN AMRO has secured €250 million in financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and intends to use these funds for loans and leases to Dutch businesses. ABN AMRO will match the EIB’s amount, making a total of €500 million in new loans being made available to the market. This is the fifth time that the EIB and ABN AMRO have partnered to create opportunities for Dutch businesses to raise finance at competitive interest rates.
The financing will be used for new investments that meet the EIB criteria. Thanks to this facility, ABN AMRO will be able to provide finance for sustainable investments and businesses, and businesses will have an incentive to contribute to the transition towards a sustainable society.
Fred Bos, ABN AMRO Bank’s Head of Commercial Clients, said: “We are delighted once again to be in a position to offer EIB financing to our clients. The EIB offers more favourable conditions and, in this way, helps to accelerate the transition to sustainability.”
The more favourable EIB financing can be obtained, subject to certain conditions, for up to a maximum of €12.5 million per investment project. The bank’s lending policy remains unchanged. Apart from the broader positive impact on the volume of credit available to Dutch SMEs, the added value of this EIB financing for the ultimate beneficiaries includes a direct discount on the headline interest rate. More information on EIB financing and the corresponding conditions can be found on the EIB’s website, or on www.abnamro.nl/nl/zakelijk/producten/financieren.
“We have been partnering with ABN AMRO for many years to help ensure that Dutch small and medium-sized businesses have access to the finance they need,” said EIB Vice-President Kris Peeters. “These days, we consider it essential that investments meet sustainability requirements, but we also appreciate that the green transition does not make finance any easier, especially for small and medium businesses. This requires extra support and attention, and we are therefore pleased to be able to rely on our cooperation with local partners like ABN AMRO.”
The European Investment Bank is the lending arm of the 27 Member States of the European Union, including the Netherlands. Support for SMEs is a central theme of the EIB’s lending policy.
Background information
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by the Member States. It makes financing available for sound investments that contribute towards EU policy objectives. In the past five years, the European Investment Bank has provided more than €10 billion in financing for projects in the Netherlands.
ABN AMRO is a Dutch bank for retail, corporate and private banking clients, offering a full range of financial products and solutions. Our focus is on Northwest Europe. ABN AMRO’s purpose is Banking for better, for generations to come. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the bank serves over 5 million clients and employs more than 19,000 people.