Investment & Fund Management

UniCredit and the European Investment Fund (EIF) collaborated to provide a EUR 50 million agreement aimed at supporting social enterprises in Italy through social impact financing loans. The initiative specifically targets Italian social enterprises that meet defined impact criteria, offering loans of up to EUR 500,000 to eligible profit and non-profit organizations with a maximum annual turnover of EUR 30 million. This financing is designed to alleviate financial barriers for these enterprises, enabling them to access more affordable and discounted loans.

The tailored solution provided by UniCredit includes not only financial support but also advisory and coaching services through UniGens, a volunteer association of current and former employees. This approach ensures that selected enterprises can outline their social commitments and impact goals, while also receiving assistance in measuring their progress throughout the financing period. UniCredit has developed a unique methodology for collecting social key performance indicators (KPIs), which allows for the measurement of social outcomes in a straightforward and comparable manner.

As a result of this partnership, in 2018 alone, UniCredit approved EUR 72.9 million in Social Impact Banking loans, with EUR 47.8 million disbursed. This included 31 impact financing loans totaling EUR 32.6 million and 2,050 microcredit loans amounting to EUR 40.3 million. Over the past five years, the collaboration between the EIB Group and UniCredit has allocated approximately EUR 5 billion to support SMEs in Italy, significantly enhancing the financial landscape for social enterprises and contributing to broader social objectives.