Risk Sharing Instrument (RSI)

RSI was a guarantee scheme managed by EIF in the 2007-2013 programming period launched in cooperation with the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Commission under the 7^th EU Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7). RSI aimed at improving access to debt finance of innovative SMEs and Small Mid-Caps to support their research & innovation projects. RSI was part of the Risk Sharing Finance Facility (RSFF), managed by the EIB, mainly addressing large Corporates and Mid-Caps. RSI's financial resources have been fully deployed through selected financial intermediaries across the EU, which have provided loans, financial leases and loan guarantees to research-based SMEs and Small Mid-Caps (enterprises having up to 499 employees according to Recommendation 2003/361/EC).

Under the new 2014-2020 programming period, EIF is managing the InnovFin SME Guarantee Facility, RSI’s successor programme under Horizon 2020.

The entrepreneurs here below benefited from RSI support which allowed EIF financial intermediaries to give them the necessary kick-start to launch or expand their businesses and carry out their ambitions.

Click on the pictures to read some stories. Do you want to know more? Read further stories of entrepreneurs supported by RSI

CS-Beton, Czech Republic Keeping the streets can be costly for local authorities and most town planners would love to roll-out dirt free pavements across towns and cities. Czech company CS-Beton is doing exactly that. CS-Beton is one of the biggest producers of concrete goods for pavements, roads, highways and airports...	Zeta Biopharma, Austria Zeta Biopharma is a plant construction company in Austria with 237 employees providing process technology for biopharmaceutical applications by supplying global pharmaceutical companies with individually designed plants...

< NBI Bearings Europe, Spain What do cars, cranes, diggers, trains, mining excavators and combine harvesters have in common? All of these vehicles use bearings to keep the machinery moving...	Trotter, The Netherlands Do you ever arrive in a new city, see a great advert for a local attraction on a billboard and get inspired to go and visit it? Have you ever been thought about going to buy something while waiting for a bus, because you were tempted by an advert at the bus stop?...

For eligible financial intermediaries:
Read here about the new EU programmes enhancing access to finance for SMEs :
- COSME Loan Guarantee Facility
- InnovFin SME Guarantee Facility

For SMEs:
If you are an entrepreneur and are looking for finance supported by the European Union,  please visit http://www.eif.org/what_we_do/where/index.htm