Vienna - Signature ceremony on the occasion of the First Risk Sharing Instrument (RSI) agreement in Europe

On 3^rd October 2012, the EIF and UniCredit Bank Austria have signed the first guarantee agreement to support lending to innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and ‘Small Mid-Caps’ under the Risk Sharing Instrument (RSI), a joint initiative of the European Investment Bank Group and the European Commission. Thanks to the agreement, UniCredit Bank Austria can now offer up to EUR 120 million of new loans to innovative companies over the next two years, enabling entrepreneurs to gain easier access to finance.

The signing ceremony took place in Vienna in the presence of EIF Chief Executive, Mr. Richard Pelly, Mr. Rainer Hauser, the Management Board Member responsible for Family & SME Banking of UniCredit Bank Austria, and Jean-David Malo, Head of Unit at the European Commission, Directorate General for Research, Innovation and Science.

For more information please refer to the press release issued on the occasion of the signing event.

Read more about the Risk Sharing Instrument (RSI)