The European Investment Fund (EIF) and Raiffeisen-Leasing Polska S.A., have signed an InnovFin and COSME agreements for SMEs benefiting from the support of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the heart of the Investment Plan for Europe.

The InnovFin agreement will enable Raiffeisen-Leasing Polska to provide leases to innovative companies in Poland over the next 2 years with the support of a guarantee provided by the EIF and backed under Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. The EU support for innovative Polish companies is expected to generate a portfolio of PLN 150m (c. EUR 34m) of bank loans.

Commenting on the signature, EIF’s Chief Executive, Pier Luigi Gilibert said: “I am pleased to be announcing these COSME and InnovFin SME Guarantee agreements with Raiffeisen-Leasing Polska S.A. for innovative companies in Poland. The new deal will play a role in helping companies to access this EU backed finance in order to innovate in the local market”.

EU Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Elżbieta Bieńkowska said: "The agreements being signed today under the Investment Plan for Europe will improve access to finance for Polish SMEs. By working together with the EIF, Raiffeisen-Leasing Polska will be able to provide innovative start-ups and SMEs in Poland with additional finance for their growing companies. The European Commission is committed to helping small companies in Europe thrive and flourish."

Commenting on the operation, the Chairman of Raiffeisen-Leasing Polska S.A., Andrzej Krzemiński said: Signing of new agreement with EFI is a continuation of our policy for improving development and innovativeness of Polish companies. For the supporting of Polish SME with EU funds we have been awarded the title of Leader of the EU financial instruments among the Polish leasing companies. We treat this as an commitment to the enterprises which results in subsequent tranches of support, like InnovFIN or COSME. We want to be close to our customers and help them realize the enormous potential of EU funds to foster innovation and competitiveness of their businesses internationally.

This transaction implemented thanks to EFSI in Poland, reflects the EIB Group’s commitment to respond swiftly to calls from Member States, the European Commission and the European Parliament for a rapid launch of concrete initiatives under EFSI, accelerating lending and guaranteeing transactions capable of boosting jobs and growth in the EU.

About the EIF

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is part of the European Investment Bank group. Its central mission is to support Europe's micro, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) by helping them to access finance. EIF designs and develops venture and growth capital, guarantees and microfinance instruments which specifically target this market segment. In this role, EIF fosters EU objectives in support of innovation, research and development, entrepreneurship, growth, and employment. More information on the EIF's work under the EFSI is available here.

About Raiffeisen-Leasing Polska S.A.

The aim of Raiffeisen-Leasing Polska S.A. is to supplement financial services portfolio offered by Raiffeisen Group in Poland with leasing services. First leasing contract was signed in June 1998.

Nowadays RLPL renders services comprising operational and financial leasing which also include real estate leasing, "lease-back" services and car fleet management. In cooperation with RBPL the company also grants car loans to private persons.

SMEs wishing to apply for finance under the InnovFin or COSME programs can directly contact Raiffeisen-Leasing Polska, at the following website: www.rl.com.pl and e-mail address: leasing.klient@raiffeisen.pl

About the Investment Plan for Europe

The Investment Plan focuses on removing obstacles to investment, providing visibility and technical assistance to investment projects and making smarter use of new and existing financial resources. The Investment Plan is already showing results. The European Investment Bank (EIB) estimates that by April 2016, the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) triggered more than €80 billion of investment in Europe.

Find out the latest EFSI figures including a break-down by sector and by country here. For more information see the FAQs.

About COSME

COSME is the EU programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) running from 2014 to 2020 with a total budget of EUR 2.3 billion. At least 60% of the programme will be devoted to ease access to finance for SMEs in Europe, with two financial instruments. The COSME Loan Guarantee Facility supports guarantees and counter-guarantees to financial institutions to help them provide more loans and lease finance to SMEs. This facility also includes securitisation of SME debt finance portfolios. The COSME programme also invests through the COSME Equity Facility for Growth in equity funds that provide risk capital to SMEs mainly in the expansion and growth stages. The COSME programme builds on the success of the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) (2007-2013) which helped to mobilise almost EUR 20 billion of loans and EUR 3 billion of venture capital to over 377,000 SMEs in Europe. Businesses can contact selected financial institutions in their country to access EU financing: www.access2finance.eu.

About InnovFin

The InnovFin SME Guarantee Facility provides guarantees and counter-guarantees on debt financing of between €25,000 and €7.5 million in order to improve access to loan finance for innovative small and medium-sized enterprises and small midcaps (up to 499 employees). The facility is managed by the EIF, and is rolled out through financial intermediaries – banks and other financial institutions – in EU Member States and Associated Countries. Under this facility, financial intermediaries are guaranteed by the EIF against a proportion of their losses incurred on the debt financing covered under the facility.

Press contacts:

EIF: David Yormesor
Tel.: +352 24 85 81 346, e-mail: d.yormesor@eif.org

Raiffeisen-Leasing Polska S.A..: Agata Dorożuk
Tel.: +48 501 500 656, e-mail: a.dorozuk@partnersi.com.pl

European Commission: Siobhán Millbright
Tel.:+ 32 (0)2 29 5736, e-mail: Siobhan.millbright@ec.europa.eu

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