Release date: 4 October 2023
Promoter – Financial Intermediary
AMPLIFON SPALocation
Description
The project will finance the promoter's investments in innovations, digitalisation, advanced skills and technologies in hearing care.
Additionality and Impact
The Project concerns innovations in hearing care, particularly around digital health solutions to provide the best hearing care. The Company provides hearing tests, help selecting and fitting the appropriate device and patient/caregiver support through their retail physical locations, call centres, as well as via digital solutions. The products and services developed from the Project will improve social inclusion of people suffering from hearing impairment, while lowering risk of injury and possibly postponing dementia onset. Thus, the social value of the project is considered to be positive and over and above the financial return.
The Borrower will benefit from the access to stable and long-term funding and additional flexibility in terms of availability period, number of drawdowns and competitive pricing. Furthermore, additional contribution stems from a diversification of Amplifon's funding sources, as well as a positive signalling effects and crowding-in of other financiers.
Objectives
The aim is to improve hearing care products and services through innovation and digitalisation.
Sector(s)
- Industry - Manufacturing
Proposed EIB finance (Approximate amount)
EUR 350 million
Total cost (Approximate amount)
EUR 709 million
Environmental aspects
The innovation and digitalisation activities are expected to be carried out in existing facilities that are already used for the same purposes and that are not expected to change their scope due to the project. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is therefore not needed as per the EIA Directive 2011/92/EU amended by Directive 2014/52/EU. The full environmental details will however be investigated by the Bank's services during the project due diligence.
Procurement
The promoter has been assessed by the EIB as being a private company not being subject to EU rules on public procurement or concessions. However, if at the project appraisal, the EIB were to conclude that the promoter is subject to the EU public procurement legislation then the Bank would duly inform the Commission Services and would require the promoter to apply those rules.
Status
Signed - 14/07/2023
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).