EUR 260m of loans for Bulgarian SMEs under JEREMIE

The EIF has signed agreements with four banks (Allianz Bank, First Investment Bank, ProCredit Bank and Société Générale Expressbank) under the Joint European Resources for Micro to Medium Enterprises (JEREMIE) initiative to benefit Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Bulgaria.

With the JEREMIE funding, the four banks will be able to extend loans with reduced interest rates of at least 50% to over 3,300 SMEs across Bulgaria looking to strengthen or expand their businesses. Information on how to access loans financed under the JEREMIE initiative will soon be available from the selected banks.

The JEREMIE Initiative is implemented in Bulgaria within the framework of the OP ”Increase of the competitiveness of the Bulgarian economy 2007- 2013” co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the State Budget. The four banks will double the initial budgetary allocation of EUR 130m and channel an amount equal to approximately EUR 260m as low interest rate loans to Bulgarian SMEs.

Commenting on the four operations, EIF Chief Executive Mr. Richard Pelly said “We are pleased to be signing 4 financing agreements in Bulgaria for a product that has been designed specifically in response to the credit crisis. Through our agreements SMEs will benefit from low interest rates and reduced collateral, which will stimulate much needed investment and growth"

With this new funded instrument with a risk sharing element, the four banks will be provided with financial resources to be on-lent on preferential terms to Bulgarian SMEs and will pass on a substantial financial benefit to the final borrowers. The four agreements result from a Call for Expression of Interest launched in July 2012 which attracted high interest resulting in 17 applications from Bulgarian banks. In order to select the financial intermediaries, EIF proceeded with thorough checks and assessment of the expressions of interest received against set criteria.

EIF is currently assessing the possibility of additional agreements under this instrument.

About the EIF

EIF's central mission is to support Europe's small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) by helping them to access finance.  EIF primarily designs and develops venture capital and guarantees 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. The EIF total net commitments to venture capital and private equity funds amounted to over EUR 5.4bn at end 2011. With investments in over 400 funds, the EIF is the leading player in European venture capital due to the scale and the scope of its investments, especially in the high-tech and early-stage segments. The EIF commitment in guarantees totalled over EUR 14.7bn in close to 160 operations at end 2011, positioning it as a major European SME loan guarantees actor and a leading micro-finance guarantor.  

Contacts:

EIF: David Yormesor, d.yormesor@eif.org