Press Release: EIB Board of Governors’ Meeting 2008: EIB Group broadens its support for small businesses

The EIB Group broadened the way it supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), making its funding mechanisms simpler, more transparent and more targeted to the individual needs of small businesses across Europe and beyond.

More than 160,000 SMEs benefited from EIB Group support last year, be it through the EIB’s lines of credit or the venture capital and loan guarantees provided by the European Investment Fund (EIF).

After a major consultation exercise with its banking partners, public authorities and SMEs themselves, the EIB Group is updating this support to make it as accessible as possible, and to ensure that the benefits of EIB Group financing are passed on tangibly to the final borrower.