Swedish businesses to get green financing boost with €30 million EIF pledge to new fund

• EIF commits up to €30 million to new Swedish fund initiative mobilising green financing for businesses
• Swedish Impact Lending 1 to ease loan access for Swedish small and medium-sized enterprises
• Operation, backed by the InvestEU programme, highlights EIF’s commitment to sustainable economic growth

Luxembourg/Stockholm, 10 February 2025: The European Investment Fund (EIF) is committing up to 320 million Swedish kronor (around €30 million) to a new green-financing drive for businesses in Sweden. The EIF pledge is to an initiative run by Sweden-based credit fund manager Svenska Hållbarhetsfonden Förvaltnings AB that aims to mobilise financing for Swedish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) seeking to reduce their environmental footprint.

Swedish Impact Lending 1 is the country's first impact lending fund and targets total commitments of at least SEK 800 million. It will provide loans to Swedish SMEs through an alternative debt finance option, offering funding from non-bank lenders to support their transition to more sustainable operations.

The goal is to bolster Swedish businesses investing in sustainability-driven business models, green technologies, companies investing in the green transition and regulatory adaptation under the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) – objectives supported by the EIF and its parent organisation the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group.

"Small and medium-sized enterprises are key drivers of innovation and economic growth in Sweden," said EIB Group Vice-President Thomas Östros. "Providing them with access to sustainable financing is essential for ensuring their competitiveness in the green transition. This investment will help Swedish businesses adapt to new regulatory requirements while unlocking new opportunities in the sustainable economy."

Swedish Impact Lending 1 is aimed at professional investors based in Sweden. The EIF backing, provided through the European Commissions InvestEU programme, will strengthen the Swedish Impact Lending Fund’s position in the market.

“We are immensely proud and delighted to have earned this trust from the EIF,” said Swedish Impact Lending Fund Management Chief Executive Officer Joakim Friis. “This investment is an important recognition of our work and ambitions to promote growth and innovation in the sustainable transition. We are seeing tremendous interest in our offering within the Swedish market and can now step up our efforts to provide Swedish companies with the best possible conditions to succeed in their efforts towards a more sustainable world."

Background

EIF

The EIF is part of the European Investment Bank (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.

InvestEU

The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with crucial long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable economy. It helps generate additional investments in line with EU policy priorities, such as the European Green Deal, the digital transition and support for small and medium-sized enterprises. InvestEU brings all EU financial instruments together under one roof, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub, and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is implemented through financial partners who invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. This guarantee increases their risk-bearing capacity, thus mobilising at least €372 billion in additional investment.

Swedish Impact Lending 1

Swedish Impact Lending 1 will become Sweden's first impact lending fund. The fund aims to provide loans to Swedish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in need of sustainable transition. The fund is expected to play a crucial role in the market as access to credit has diminished due to the tightened credit appetite of banks. Swedish Impact Lending 1 will apply an integrated ESG, Impact and credit model. The team behind the fund has extensive experience in the financial sector and possesses specialized expertise in sustainable investments through Sasja Beslik. The fund is expected to commence operations in the third quarter of 2025.

Press contacts:

EIB Group:                                                        Thomas Eriksson | t.eriksson@ext.eib.org

Swedish Impact Lending 1:                       Kaisa Fexe | kaisa.fexe@hallbarhetsfonden.se

Joakim Friis | joakim.friis@hallbarhetsfonden.se