Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) need tailored solutions. We built the products offered under the InvestEU SME window on experience from previous EU financial instruments established under the COSME programme, Horizon 2020 and others. The InvestEU SME window provides access to and availability of finance primarily for SMEs, including innovators, SMEs in cultural & creative sectors and small mid-cap companies.
SME guarantees and financing
Under the SME window of InvestEU, the Commission supports a single integrated guarantee facility implemented by the EIF. It targets SMEs perceived as high risk or having insufficient collateral, including innovative businesses, those in cultural and creative sectors, the SMEs transitioning from resource- and energy-intensive models towards more sustainable ones, and SMEs adopting digital business practices.
InvestEU's SME window also supports equity financing for SMEs and small mid-caps in EU policy special interest areas, such as space and defence, sustainability, digitalisation, innovation, gender-smart financing, deep tech and green tech. For example, pooling funding from the EU, EU countries and the private sector to increase access to equity finance for innovative SMEs and start-ups that develop and adopt green tech solutions. InvestEU allows financing at all development stages from start-up to scale-up and IPO. It helps leverage private funding from investors such as business angels, family offices, venture capital funds, pension funds and insurance companies
How to access the InvestEU financial instruments
If you are an SME or an entrepreneur looking for debt or equity finance and would like to see which financial intermediaries are working with InvestEU, please visit the Access to Finance portal.
Representatives of financial institutions, such as banks or equity investors, will have the opportunity to learn how to benefit from the InvestEU guarantee and become an EU financial intermediary. The European Investment Fund launched the calls for expression of interest for guarantee products and the calls for expression of interest for equity products. InvestEU will offer a guarantee to financial and credit institutions, funds and other intermediaries who provide debt and equity financing.
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EU Finance Days
Under the EU’s budget for 2021-2027, dedicated EU programmes were launched. Financial institutions, national promotional banks, business support structures and multipliers are keen to get first-hand information on the new EU business support programmes such as InvestEU, the European Innovation Council and the Single Market Programme.
The Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW), with involvement of the European Commission Representations and the main implementing partners of the InvestEU programme, organised EU Finance Days in 2022-2023 and Sustainable Finance Days in 2024-2025. They presented financial and support programmes to relevant stakeholders through workshops targeting a number of countries.