The Facilitation Committee, chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), has approved the “Ukraine” measure aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of Italian companies involved in the reconstruction process. The initiative, with a total budget of EUR 300 million leveraging resources from Fund 295/73, provides for a non-repayable export contribution of up to 5% in support of export contracts from Italian companies to Ukraine.
“Supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction is a priority for Italy and will be at the heart of the international conference we will host in Rome on July 10–11, with the aim of fully involving the Italian private sector and local authorities,” stated Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani.
The Committee also approved concessional loans, managed by SIMEST, for internationalisation projects in strategic areas, amounting to EUR 64.9 million in favour of 151 companies. This aligns with the goals of the “Action plan for Italian export in high-potential markets” developed by MAECI. Notably, there is continued use of the “Latin America” and “Africa” Measures to finance projects of Italian companies operating in those regions. Specifically, 10 financing operations worth EUR 7 million have been approved for investments by Italian businesses in Africa.
In terms of quasi-equity loans, financing has been approved to support Italian initiatives in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Chile in the automotive, engineering, and energy sectors, mobilising a total of EUR 68 million in investments. Regarding support for start-ups, the Committee approved funding for new companies involved in chemical plastic recycling, hydrogen production research, and the development of AI-integrated medical solutions, with total investments amounting to EUR 3.3 million.
The Facilitation Committee — which includes representatives from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, and the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces — is responsible for managing soft finance instruments for business internationalisation, administered by SIMEST S.p.A., using resources from the 394/81 and 295/73 Funds (soft loans, non-repayable grants, equity participation in SMEs with internationalisation projects, and credit support for export contracts).
