Commission launches two new financial instruments to boost investments in start-ups and sustainable urban development

In the 2014-2020 period, the Commission is encouraging Member States to double their European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds investments used through financial instruments, such as loans, equity and guarantees, in line with the objectives of the Investment Plan.

The Commission is launching two new instruments:      

- A co-investment facility to provide funding to start-ups and SMEs. This support will enable them to develop their business models and attract additional funding through a collective investment scheme managed by one main financial intermediary. Total investment combining public and private resources can amount to up to €15 million per SME. In the 2007-2013 period, SAS JEREMIE in the French region of Languedoc-Roussillon was an example of such a co-investment facility, using European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) resources to attract private capital and invest in high-tech SMEs in the region.      

- Urban development funds will support sustainable urban projects, in public transport, energy efficiency or the regeneration of urban areas, for example. Projects must be financially viable and part of an Integrated Sustainable Urban Development strategy. Total investment combining public and private resources can amount to up to €20 million per project. The support will take the form of a loan fund managed by a financial intermediary, with ESI Funds resources and a contribution of at least 30% from private capital. Such an Urban Development Fund has been developed in Pomorskie, Poland, in the 2007-2013 period.