It addresses a clear gap in the Polish market: according to an EIB poll, 12% of companies in the country find it hard to get external financing.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and BNP Paribas Leasing Services, a subsidiary of BNP Paribas Bank Polska, have signed a loan agreement of €200 million to back lending to small and mid-sized businesses (SMEs and midCaps) in Poland. The operation builds on the EIB’s successful track record in supporting companies of this size through loans to financial partner institutions.
The large majority of BNP Paribas Leasing Services’ new lending will go to cohesion regions, thus helping to reduce disparities in Europe. In addition, some 20% of the EIB financing will contribute to the fight against climate change. Possible green investments include the financing of photovoltaic installations, electric and hybrid vehicles, heating pumps and charging stations for electric vehicles. These investments will contribute to Poland’s objective to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and will help achieve the target set in its Energy Policy until 2040.
“Poland has a large and diversified economy that is relatively resilient to economic shocks,” said EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska, who is in charge of operations in Poland. “Still, 16 of its 17 districts are qualified as cohesion with the comparatively low gross domestic product per capita. (…)”