Business Platform

Who’s it for?

The beneficiaries of the Business Platform are:
• SMEs (companies with less than 250 employees)
• MIDs (companies with between 250 and 2999 employees)
• SME or MidCap companies who participate in a Supply Chain or Business Network
• Networks of Companies with legal status

How does it work?

The Plafonds within the Business Platform are:

1. SME Plafond

The SME Plafond is intended for financing investments, to be implemented or in progress, and to increase the working capital of SMEs
The Plafond amounts to 5,984 million euros.

Companies operating in Italy with less than 250 employees, full-time equivalents, may use the Plafond, regardless of turnover and balance sheet assets, according to the definition of SME specified in the agreement.

Non-autonomous SMEs are also eligible for financing, provided that the number of associated / linked employees is less than 250 units.

The loans granted by the banks through the SME Plafond can benefit from a public or private guarantee. In the event of a public guarantee (for example, Central Guarantee Fund for SMEs, SACE or ISMEA) CDP offers a specific supply line.

There is no limit on the loan amount for SMEs, except for those intended for internationalisation activities, which cannot exceed the amount of 12,5 million euros per unit.

It is also possible to take advantage of the SME Fund in the form of leasing.
The restructuring of previous debts is excluded, except for renegotiation operations (including refinancing operations) as long as the new financing includes additional credit to the amount of the debt being renegotiated, for a minimum of 25% (as required by Article 13 paragraph 1 letter e) of Decree Law. 23/2020, as amended in the conversion phase).

         2.  MID Plafond
The MID Plafond is intended for financing investments, to be implemented or in progress, and to increase the working capital of Mid Cap companies, with between 250 and 3000 employees.
The Plafond amounts to 3,500 million euros.

Non-autonomous MID companies are also eligible for financing, provided that the number of associated / linked employees is less than 3000 units and equal to or greater than 250 units.

The loans granted by the banks through the MID Plafond can benefit from a public or private guarantee. In the event of a public guarantee (for example, Central Guarantee Fund for SMEs, SACE or ISMEA) CDP offers a specific supply line.

There is no limit on financing for mid-caps, except for public guarantee-assisted funding, which cannot exceed 25 million euros and those with EIB funding, which cannot exceed 12.5 million euros.

It is also possible to take advantage of the Mid Fund in the form of leasing.
The restructuring of previous debts is excluded, except for renegotiation operations (including refinancing operations) as long as the new financing includes additional credit to the amount of the debt being renegotiated, for a minimum of 25% (as required by Article 13 paragraph 1 letter e) of Decree Law. 23/2020, as amended in the conversion phase).

         3. Network and Supply Chain Plafond
The Network and Supply Chain Plafond is intended to finance investments, including those in progress, and to activities aimed at increasing the working capital of SMEs or MID business network companies or companies in the SME or MID supply chain.
The Plafond amounts to 500 million euros.

Loans can be granted through the Plafond:

• To “Network Companies”, SMEs or MID Companies operating in Italy that participate in a Business Network;
• To “Companies in the Supply Chain”, SMEs or MID Companies operating in Italy that participate in a “Supply Chain” where supply chain means any form of aggregation between companies – even with the collaboration of third parties, such as research centres or universities – that operate with an explicit objective by virtue of specific contractual obligations, which have an effective collaboration between participating subjects and a clear subdivision of benefits, skills, costs and expenses incurred by each party.
• To “Networks”, Business Networks with legal status that fit the requirements of a SME or MID Company indicated in the definitions of “SME” and “MID Company” in the agreement.

Funding cannot exceed 12.5 million euros per unit.

It is also possible to take advantage of the Network and Supply Chain Plafond in the form of leasing.
The restructuring of previous debts is excluded, except for renegotiation operations (including refinancing operations) as long as the new financing includes additional credit to the amount of the debt being renegotiated, for a minimum of 25% (as required by Article 13 paragraph 1 letter e) of Decree Law. 23/2020, as amended in the conversion phase).

How to apply

At one of the participating banks (see list in the "Related documents" section)

Additional Information

The resources made available for "New SME Plafond" and "SME 2009", both with an initial endowment of 8 billion euros, were used entirely in favour of companies for the financing of investment expenses and for capital growth needs.

• New SME Plafond:

• 43,000 SMEs benefited from CDP funding for medium / long-term loans (up to 15 years).
• The average loan amount was 166 thousand euros.
• The banks that joined the Fourth ABI-CDP Agreement represented 91% in terms of market share and 77% in number of branches.
• 82% of funding was concentrated in the industry, trade and construction sectors.

• SME 2009:

• Around 50,000 SMEs received finance from CDP funding for medium-long term loans (up to 10 years)
• The average loan amount was 148 thousand euros
• The banks that joined the third ABI-CDP Agreement for the 2009 SME Plafond represented 93% in terms of market share and 74% in number of branches.
• Over 80% of funding was concentrated in the industry, trade and construction sectors.