The Facilitation Committee, chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, today approved the creation of a € 500 million reserve within the 394/81 Fund for a new soft finance line aimed at supporting investments by Italian companies with interests in the Asia-Pacific area. This new measure will become operational once the necessary implementation steps are completed. “Strengthening support for exports and the internationalisation of our companies is one of the Government’s top priorities”, declared the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani. “The Asia-Pacific region is a key component of the Italian Export Action Plan, which aims to further boost trade relations with all countries in this strategic region, where we already export € 55.3 billion worth of goods”.
In terms of financing businesses, the Committee approved 247 soft loans for internationalisation projects by SMEs, amounting to € 109 million in support of 228 companies. The first investment under the new “Latin America” Measure, introduced in early 2025, was approved to enhance the competitiveness of companies and supply chains. Equity loans were also approved to support the expansion of Italian companies in the United States and Morocco, with € 13 million in financing as part of broader investment operations totalling € 133 million.
The Committee also approved the introduction of a € 300 million ceiling to support export credits in Central and South America, complementing the € 200 million reserve for soft loans already envisaged under the “Latin America” Measure.
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).
