The second edition of the tour providing information about the Juncker Plan has ended. The project is promoted by the Italian Representation of the European Commission and by CDP
Rome January 7, 2019
The final stop of the Tandem Tour 2018 was held in Matera, the 2019 European Capital of Culture. The travelling initiative was organised by the Italian Representation of the European Commission in collaboration with CDP to illustrate the opportunities offered by the Juncker Plan in Italy to small and medium-sized enterprises, trade associations, banks and lenders, universities and local public administrations.
With the aim of mobilising 500 billion euros by 2020 to boost economic growth in Europe, the Juncker Plan offers numerous opportunities for Italian companies, which have been the focus of the eight stops of the 2018 edition organised nationwide in collaboration with the CDP shareholding Banking Foundations, with over 350 participants taking part (of which around 70% SMEs and the rest divided between universities, local public administrations and banks). The financial instruments provided by the European Union and the proposals of the European Commission to continue to support investments after 2020 were presented, all within the framework of the new 2021-2027 multi-year budget.
The role of National Promotion Institutes, such as CDP in Italy, was also highlighted, describing the initiatives implemented within the Plan with a particular focus on guarantee instruments intended to favour and improve the conditions for SMEs' access to credit. During the eight stops, six participating companies provided direct testimony of how they obtained easier access to credit as a result of the initiative financed by Juncker Plan resources - the Elite Basket Bond Platform.
This was the first mini-bond securitisation transaction in Italy that allowed 10 Italian companies from different industrial sectors to issue securities with identical rate and duration characteristics, thereby accessing alternative financing instruments that are not generally common among SMEs. For the second year in a row, the initiative promoted proximity to local stakeholders and dialogue with the local area.
Find out more about the Juncker Plan instruments.