Intesa Sanpaolo: corporate finance to boost SME growth and competitiveness
17 November 2025
Intesa Sanpaolo has adopted an innovative integrated advisory model to support Italian SMEs, with the aim of enhancing their competitiveness and enabling sustainable growth by giving them access to financial tools traditionally reserved for large corporates.
The Bank has established a specialised corporate finance team dedicated to SMEs, designed to support Italy’s industrial base in an evolving economic and geopolitical environment.
Developed over the past decade by the Bank, this model – the only one of its kind in Italy – is the result of collaboration between the Banca dei Territori and the IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Divisions, and is now a benchmark for SMEs seeking investment banking and structured finance solutions.
“Italian SMEs are facing an uncertain landscape and are aware of the need to explore innovative growth pathways beyond the limits of traditional tools. This includes structured finance, new investments, IPOs and M&A. Intesa Sanpaolo acts as a bridge between the real economy and finance, guiding entrepreneurs in developing long-term, sustainable growth strategies”
Stefano Barrese, Head of the Banca dei Territori Division, Intesa Sanpaolo
The figures confirm the strength of the integrated advisory model for SMEs:
- Over 35 M&A and IPO transactions completed in the past four years
- More than €10 billion in structured finance operations since 2020, including over €2 billion in the first nine months of 2025
- A dedicated team of more than 70 investment bankers, divided into three regional teams and five specialist desks (M&A, ECM, Structured Finance, Capital Structure Solutions, and Post Closing)
- 6,000 Italian companies potentially ready to pursue extraordinary finance as part of their development strategies.
These results confirm Intesa Sanpaolo’s ability to support companies through growth projects, generational transitions, acquisitions, and international expansion.
A combination of specialist skills, local presence, and innovative tools
The advisory model succeeds by combining in-depth knowledge of Italy’s business landscape – guaranteed by the extensive Banca dei Territori network – with the national and international structured finance expertise of the IMI CIB Division.
Intesa Sanpaolo offers companies an end-to-end service, covering industrial plan analysis, the structuring of tailored financial solutions, market access through its institutional investor network, and hedging and advisory solutions to manage financial, legal, and regulatory risks.
Structured finance for SMEs includes a wide range of innovative tools, such as Basket Bonds, Minibonds, S-Loans and digital lending solutions developed using Artificial Intelligence. These are complemented by structured finance operations, private debt initiatives, capital-light models such as originate-to-share, and partnerships with institutional investors and funds.
Grow to compete
Italian SMEs account for over 85% of national value added and 71% of employment. Historically undercapitalised, they are beginning to turn to structured financial tools to fund growth, particularly in the areas of digitalisation, internationalisation, and strategic acquisitions.
Structured finance operators and instruments play a key role as strategic partners, helping entrepreneurs adopt a long-term outlook.
Intesa Sanpaolo’s integrated advisory model for SMEs was presented during the “Crescere per competere” (“Grow to Compete”) event held on 17 November 2025 at Palazzo Mezzanotte – Borsa Italiana. In 2026, the Bank will extend this initiative nationwide through a dedicated roadshow.
Last updated 9 December 2025 at 16:54:08
