Bank of Valletta and the EIB Group (EIB and EIF) have renewed their partnership to support the business needs of small- and medium-sized companies (SMEs) in Malta. Thanks to this new agreement, the bank will provide an additional €28 million to Maltese SMEs on favourable terms and with long tenors over the next two years.
The agreement is supported by the ‘SME Initiative’ of the EU, which is based on EU Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) made available by the government of Malta, and implemented in combination with funds from the H2020 programme as well as EIF own resources.
The favourable conditions on the loans are achieved thanks to a structured finance project defined as “risk transfer”, implemented by combining funds managed at the national level with resources from the EU programme and EIB Group resources. The SME Initiative agreement is created in the form of an uncapped guarantee operation on a portfolio of new loans to be originated by BOV, using these funds to cover the first losses of the portfolio.
The transaction confirms the long relationship and cooperation between the EIB Group and Bank of Valletta and will help the bank support Maltese SMEs with a product that will provide funding on advantageous terms, aiming to help entrepreneurs overcome the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Commenting on the increase of the transaction with BOV, EIF chief executive Alain Godard said: “I am delighted with the very positive results of the SME Initiative in Malta. Bank of Valletta has already managed more than €70 million of SME financing to help companies over the last six years. I am convinced that the additional finance will be instrumental in supporting more jobs and growth, mitigating the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic by combining European Structural and Investment Funds, EU Horizon 2020 and EIB Group resources.”
EIB vice-president Gelsomina Vigliotti said: “The EIB Group is fully committed to supporting the rollout of the SME Initiative in Malta, a key programme in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. With today’s signature, additional long-term financing at attractive conditions will be made available to Maltese SMEs, contributing to promoting the country’s economic recovery.”
Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds within the office of the Prime Minister Stefan, Zrinzo Azzopardi, said: “The decision to allocate additional funds towards the SME Initiative financial instrument further confirms the government’s commitment towards supporting our businesses.
“Especially in the current circumstances, the effort being made to ensure a continuous stream of support to businesses is imperative to help them mitigate the ongoing impact of the pandemic on Maltese SMEs. Our belief is that these additional funds will serve as an opportunity for our businesses to not only recover but also to invest and grow, even during these challenging times.”
BOV’s chief business banking officer, Albert Frendo, commented: “This is yet another step in our journey with the EIF in positioning Bank of Valletta as the Maltese SME bank. Conscious of the challenges being faced by the SME community, this top-up in funding has allowed Bank of Valletta to present a more competitive offering with the objective of helping Maltese SMEs to invest as a means of enhancing their competitiveness in a post-COVID economy.”