Signature(s)
Summary sheet
- Credit lines - Credit lines
The project will support financing of eligible investments promoted by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and midcaps in Italy, with particular focus on those affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
The aim is to enhance access to finance for small/medium projects carried out by SMEs and midcaps, also in the form of networks.
Final beneficiaries will be requested to comply with applicable national and EU legislation, as appropriate.
Final beneficiaries will be requested to comply with applicable national and EU legislation, as appropriate.
n/a
Disclaimer
Before financing approval by the Board of Directors, and before loan signature, projects are under appraisal and negotiation. The information and data provided on this page are therefore indicative.
They are provided for transparency purposes only and cannot be considered to represent official EIB policy (see also the Explanatory notes).
News & Stories
Inside the project
How and Why
A rapid response
Why
- Italy was the hardest hit country in the European Union in terms of COVID-19 death toll
- To provide a rapid response to give small businesses liquidity to tackle the crisis
How
- Casse Depositi e Prestiti provides liquidity lines to its bank partners for on-lending to small and medium sized corporates
- The loans made under this programme provide companies with working capital, when their regular business has dried up in pandemic lockdowns
Sectors & Countries
Play video
2:03
Story
EU bank support in pandemic
For three decades, Giuliano Annigliato’s advertising agencies A&C Network and Uno Outdoor have grown in size and ambition, backing the restoration of monuments in Naples and elsewhere with an innovative idea that saves money for the municipality. But when the COVID-19 virus first ravaged Italy, it hit Annigliato’s business too—most of his clients were in the clothing sector, one of the worst-hit by the pandemic.
Hope arrived in the form of a €2.3 million loan from Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the oldest bank in the world. The loan was made possible by a partnership between the European Investment Bank and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, the national promotional bank. A total €1.5 billion financing for Italian small businesses is the first European Investment Bank immediate COVID-19 response and the largest EU bank support to any single country during the pandemic crisis.
Behind Naples ads, the preservation of its history
In Naples obelisks, fountains and monuments attract the attention of companies and businesses, including Burger Italy, Lui-Jo, Enrico Coveri underwear. These companies have a temporary "advertising window" in Naples, while the monuments will be restored at no cost to the city.
At the height of Italy’s early pandemic crisis, Annigliato had hardly any business. Even the money he had set aside for emergencies would not have been enough to pay his 36 employees for long. Annigliato had to make use of a temporary furlough scheme for some of them.
At the end of April, when the weight of the world seemed to be crashing on Annigliato, he got much-needed liquidity from the European Investment Bank through CDP and Monte dei Paschi di Siena. With this buffer, he was able to happily accept a big online order from Rossignol, the iconic French brand. “It was a godsend, a beautiful thing,” he says, his voice warm and enthusiastic, but also displaying the relief of a man who had been on the edge.
We are standing shoulder to shoulder with Italian small businesses and microbusinesses.
Related media
Squeezing fashion out of an orange
Italian company reuses tons of pulp waste to make fabric that won’t hurt the environment
A true by women, for women fund
An African gender-lens equity fund proves that traditional investors are leaving money on the table, because investing in women brings superior performance
Related projects and stories
Seeds for local growth
EIB Global helps female entrepreneurs get loans from Kenya’s regional banks, boosting small business
Montenegro’s digital transition starts at school
Improving education in Montenegro with Team Europe support
Leading African fund managers receive awards for supporting promising entrepreneurs and start-ups across the continent
African venture capital (VC) fund managers First Circle Capital, SpeedInvest and Knife Capital have all received awards recognising their success in supporting promising entrepreneurs and start-ups across African countries. The awards were presented during the Africa Venture Finance Programme, a week-long, in-person course, organised for the third time at Oxford university’s Saïd Business School from 9 to 13 September 2024. The programme aims to support VC fund managers investing in early and growth-stage technology companies in Africa, with Boost Africa and AfricaGrow hosting 41 leading fund managers from 31 African VC funds.
General enquiries and comments
The EIB is committed to open communication and encourages constructive stakeholder input regarding its activities.
Enquiries and comments concerning the EIB’s involvement in a project or the financing facilities, activities, organisation and objectives of the EIB, can be sent to the EIB Infodesk.
Alternatively, the EIB can be contacted through its external offices.
Queries regarding details of a specific project, in particular when it is under appraisal by the EIB, should preferably be addressed directly to project promoters.
Media enquiries
Media-related enquiries can be addressed to the EIB Press Office. Please also visit our Media information section.
Complaints mechanism
Any complaint regarding alleged maladministration can be lodged via the EIB Complaints Mechanism. The European Ombudsman acts as an independent external accountability mechanism of the EIB.
Zero tolerance against fraud and corruption
The EIB has a zero tolerance policy on fraud or corruption. To report allegations of fraud and corruption relating to EIB-financed projects, please contact the Fraud and Investigation division. All complaints will be treated as strictly confidential and handled in line with the EIB investigation procedures and the Anti-Fraud Policy.
Related publications