The Facilitation Committee, chaired by the Italian Foreign Ministry, today approved 155 subsidised loans to finance internationalisation projects for Italian SMEs, amounting to € 63.6 million in favour of 153 companies. Participating loans were also approved to support the expansion of Italian companies in the United Kingdom and the United States, with € 15 million in financing, enabling a total investment of € 70 million. Additionally, interest rate subsidies for exports were approved for € 2 million, along with financing to facilitate overseas investments for a further € 10 million.
The Committee also approved a new collaboration model with the Italian banking system, which will increase the resources available to companies presenting internationalisation projects through the joint provision of bank loans and subsidised financing.
“Financial support for small and medium-sized enterprises that export and invest abroad is crucial for the growth of our entrepreneurial fabric and for achieving the objectives of the Italian Export Action Plan in high-potential non-EU markets,” stated Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani. “With the tools managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we are responding to the growing demand from companies embarking on their internationalisation path, accompanying them with contributions and liquidity resources.”
The Facilitation Committee, which also includes representatives from the Ministries of Economy and Finance, Enterprises and Made in Italy, and the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces, is responsible for managing the subsidised finance tools for the internationalisation of Italian businesses, managed by SIMEST S.p.A. under Funds 394/81 and 295/73 (subsidised loans, grants, equity participation in SMEs with internationalisation projects and credit support for export contracts).
