Simest the latest news

Since 1991 Simest has supported the growth of Italian companies through the internationalization of their business. The Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Group company closed 2021 with a profit of around 4 million euros , supporting 11,300 companies in over 100 countries around the world and managed resources of 9.3 billion euros (of which over 4 billions destined only for subsidized loans). A fundamental contribution, therefore, is ensured by Simest, as documented by the growth recorded both in terms of tools for internationalization and in terms of export support.

Also for 2022 the company aims to reconfirm and strengthen its support for the Italian production system with the introduction of various innovations regarding new measures to support companies that export to Russia, Ukraine and Belarus .

Exports to Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, suffered a significant decline, in addition to the increase in energy and material prices.

Made in Italy, especially as regards leading sectors such as fashion and agri-food, has been particularly affected by the crisis as Russia has always been a major importer.

For this reason, the conversion law of Legislative Decree 14-2022 (Law 28-2022), published last April 13 in the Official Gazette, provided for:

• the  reactivation of the capitalization line of the Simest Fund 394 to support Italian companies particularly exposed to the Russian market
• suspension of one year for the repayment of Simest loans.

Support for capitalization operations

Article 5-ter of  decree 14-2022 therefore reactivates the  capitalization line of the Simest 394 Fund and provides that companies that in the  last three financial statements filed , have achieved an  average turnover of at least 20 can apply for capitalization operations. % of total company turnover with direct export operations to Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. 

The new formulation of the measure also provides for a non-  repayable co-financing of up to 40%  of the overall support intervention. Important news as we remind you that the Capitalization measure, one of Simest's most popular instruments, on the basis of the provisions of the Sostegni Bis Decree last 2021, was unable to benefit from the non-repayable fund.

Suspension of loan repayments

The second intervention contained in the decree 14-2022  for companies exporting to Russia, Ukraine and Belarus is the suspension  for up to 12 months of the payment of the principal amount and the interest  of the installments due in the year 2022, for the loans granted from the Fund 394.

The suspension concerns both companies that in recent years have achieved  20% of exports to Russia , Ukraine and Belarus but also companies that  have operational branches or direct holdings in the countries concerned.

Both measures, the decree provides, will apply until 31 December 2022, once the green light has been obtained from Brussels.