The European Investment Fund (EIF) and the Institut Català de Finances (ICF) have signed a guarantee agreement worth €80 million, enabling a total of €114 million in loans to be made available to Catalan companies for innovation and digitalisation projects.
This collaboration will allow the public promotional bank to channel more resources under better conditions to the Catalan business ecosystem, promoting economic growth and transformation through two instruments: ICF Pime Innova loans and IFEM Innovació participatory loans.
The alliance between EIF and ICF is reinforced once again following two previous agreements in 2024: the first to mobilise up to €64 million in support of social, cultural and creative enterprises in Catalonia, and the second to unlock €57 million for sustainable projects. These initiatives add to the launch of the FITA Fund.
The announcement forms part of a broader set of guarantee agreements signed between the EIF, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise, and eleven financial institutions on 12 June in Madrid. The agreements aim to mobilise more than €2.5 billion in new financing for Spanish SMEs seeking to invest in innovation, sustainability and competitiveness.
Over 6,000 Spanish SMEs and mid-caps are expected to benefit from this new financing, facilitating investment in areas such as R&D, energy efficiency, the social economy, and digitalisation. These investments will help companies navigate the green and digital transitions and strengthen their competitiveness.
The guarantees were presented during an event held in Madrid under the InvestEU State Compartment Guarantee Programme of the Regional Resilience Fund. Attendees included Inés Carpio, Director General of International Financing of the Spanish Treasury; Marco Marrone, EIF Chief Investment Officer; Lucas González Ojeda, Acting Head of the European Commission Representation in Spain; and representatives from participating financial institutions, regional governments, investors, and the business community.
The financial institutions signing the agreements include commercial banks, regional promotional banks, debt funds, and alternative lenders. This diversity ensures a wide range of financing instruments adapted to companies’ varying capital needs.
“These guarantee agreements will make it easier for SMEs and mid-caps to access the financing they need to invest in innovation and accelerate their green and digital transitions,” said Marco Marrone, EIF Chief Investment Officer. “They are a clear example of public-private cooperation that will boost Spanish business competitiveness and demonstrate the EIF’s capacity to mobilise significant financial resources through institutional partnerships.”
“These signatures enable the near-complete deployment of the fourth instrument of the Regional Resilience Fund. This complements the direct co-financing tool, the intermediated instrument for sustainable urban and tourism development, and the alternative financing tool for sustainable development. We continue to support companies with a comprehensive approach, providing instruments tailored to their needs,” added Inés Carpio, Director General of International Financing of the Treasury.
“Events like today’s highlight the ability of the Recovery and Resilience Facility – funded by NextGenerationEU – to support and execute public investment, stimulating growth and employment in both Spain and the EU. The Regional Resilience Fund under Spain’s recovery plan will support SMEs, promoting green and digital growth and enhancing Europe’s economic competitiveness,” said Lucas González Ojeda, Acting Head of the European Commission Representation in Spain.
The InvestEU State Compartment Guarantee Programme, under the Regional Resilience Fund, has received strong market acceptance. Just six months after its launch, guarantee agreements have already been signed with 11 financial institutions, with positive impact across all 17 Spanish autonomous communities and the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla.
The guarantees are enabled by Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, funded by NextGenerationEU, specifically through the contribution of the Regional Resilience Fund. The fund operates via the InvestEU Member State Compartment, allowing EU member states to allocate recovery plan funds to support EU guarantees and expand the financial resources available for national investment priorities.
The guarantee agreements were signed with Andbank (via Actyus Growth Finance), BBVA, CaixaBank, EBN Banco, ICF, Inveready, Kutxabank, MicroBank, Santander, Tresmares, and Unicaja (via Seneca Direct Lending).
The event also included a roundtable discussion on the opportunities offered by the InvestEU guarantee programme for Spanish SMEs, featuring beneficiary companies such as ECOALF, IriusRisk, and NEOS Surgery.
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