Italian Companies to Benefit from €335 Million Financing Initiative by EIB Group and BNL BNP Paribas

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(IN BRIEF) The EIB Group and BNL BNP Paribas have launched a new agreement to mobilise €335 million in financing for around 300 Italian companies, supporting investments and working capital needs. Based on a synthetic securitisation structure, the transaction will expand lending capacity for SMEs and mid-caps while prioritising cohesion regions in southern Italy and the agrifood sector. Building on a long-standing partnership, the initiative supports economic growth, regional development and the competitiveness of Italy’s real economy.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 14-Jan-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — The EIB Group and BNL BNP Paribas have signed a new agreement designed to mobilise €335 million in financing for the Italian real economy, supporting the investment plans and working capital needs of around 300 companies. The initiative targets small and medium-sized enterprises as well as mid-cap companies, strengthening access to credit while contributing to sustainable economic growth across the country.

The agreement builds on a long-standing and consolidated partnership between the EIB Group—comprising the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund—and BNL BNP Paribas. Since 2018, the partners have completed four similar securitisation transactions, which together have supported more than 1,000 businesses and generated over €2.3 billion in new financing for the Italian economy.

From a structural perspective, the transaction is based on a synthetic securitisation of mortgage loans originated by BNL BNP Paribas. As part of the arrangement, the European Investment Fund has provided a guarantee on a €111.6 million mezzanine tranche, which is fully counter-guaranteed by the European Investment Bank. This mechanism allows BNL BNP Paribas to optimise regulatory capital and create new lending capacity of €335 million, to be channelled to Italian SMEs with fewer than 250 employees and mid-cap companies employing up to 3,000 people.

Beyond improving access to finance, the agreement pursues two strategic priorities for Italy’s economic development. A significant portion of the resources will be directed toward cohesion regions in southern Italy, supporting regional growth and helping to narrow economic disparities. Approximately €167.5 million, representing around half of the total financing, is earmarked for companies and projects based in these regions.

In parallel, the initiative places strong emphasis on the agrifood sector, a cornerstone of the Italian economy that contributes roughly 15% of national GDP and plays a central role in employment, sustainability and territorial development. Around €100 million, equivalent to about 30% of the total amount mobilised, will be allocated to agrifood companies, supporting investment, innovation and competitiveness across the sector.

Through this agreement, the EIB Group and BNL BNP Paribas aim to reinforce entrepreneurship, enhance business resilience and support Italy’s green and digital transitions, while strengthening key productive sectors and promoting balanced territorial development.

Background information:

The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight key priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.  The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security. All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment. Fostering market integration and mobilising investment, the funds made available by the Group unlocked over €100 billion in new investment for Europe’s energy security in 2024 and mobilised a further €110 billion for startups and scale-ups. Around half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower than the EU average. High-quality, up-to-date photos of EIB headquarters for media use are available here.

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is part of the European Investment Bank Group (EIB Group). It supports Europe’s SMEs by improving their access to finance through a wide range of selected financial intermediaries. The EIF designs, promotes and implements equity and debt financing instruments targeting SMEs. In this role, the EIF fosters EU objectives in support of entrepreneurship, growth, innovation, research and development, the green and digital transitions and employment.

BNL BNP Paribas has been in business for over 110 years and is one of the leading Italian banking groups, operating nationwide. It offers a wide range of products and services to meet the multiple needs of its customers (private, corporate and public administration). Since 2006, BNL has been part of the BNP Paribas Group, which is present in 64 countries, employing around 178 000 staff members, including some 145 000 in Europe, where it has four domestic markets: Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg. BNP Paribas holds key positions in its major business sectors: “Commercial, Personal Banking & Services”; “Investment & Protection Services” and “Corporate & Institutional Banking”. Like the Group as a whole, BNL BNP Paribas is particularly committed to economic, social and environmental sustainability – a strategy that embodies the bank’s determination to use its business to have a positive impact on customers, staff and the community as a whole, helping to build a more sustainable future.

Media contact:
Lorenzo Squintani
l.squintani@eib.org
+352437982528

Press Office
press@eib.org
+352 43791

SOURCE: European Investment Bank