Brussels, 08/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - In Luxembourg on Wednesday 7 March, the European Investment Bank (EIB) signed a deal with Italian bank Unicredit whereby the EIB will make available €400 million to finance small and medium-sized enterprises in Italy. The group's leasing company UniCredit Leasing has been entrusted with the assessment, selection and disbursement of the loans.
The new EIB loan is aimed at companies with up to 250 employees. New and ongoing projects will be eligible for financing. The loan, which can cover up to 100% of the investment (a maximum of €12.5 million per project), is earmarked for the purchase, construction, extension and restructuring of buildings; for the acquisition of plant, equipment, vehicles or machinery; for expenses, incidental costs and project-related intangible assets, including research, development and innovation costs; and for permanent working capital requirements linked to operations.
Small business projects in all manufacturing sectors are eligible for financing: agriculture, craft, industry, commerce, tourism and services. A percentage will be reserved for firms active in southern Italy, a region particularly badly hit by the current economic downturn. (OL/transl.fl)