INTESA SANPAOLO PRESENTS “PROGETTO PICCOLE IMPRESE E PROFESSIONISTI”, (A FACILITY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONALS) TAILOR-MADE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THESE VERY IMPORTANT SECTORS OF THE ITALIAN ECONOMY AND SOCIETY

• Three current accounts and a loan facility designed for individual customer profiles
• Management fee blocked until the end of 2010 at least, no charges on electronic transfers
• A “Soddifatti o Rimborsati” guarantee (Money-back guarantee) is provided that can be taken up within the first six months of signing up
• The new adverts with the Gialappa’s Band due to go out from Sunday 21 October

Milan, 17 October 2007 - Intesa Sanpaolo is launching Progetto Piccole Imprese e Professionisti to meet the requirements of the many economic operators who require solutions designed to satisfy their specific needs.

For Intesa Sanpaolo today Small Businesses and Professionals represent more than 900,000 customers. This is a diversified market, which the Bank is aiming to consolidate and expand rapidly by driving forward the message of its advisory capability, simplicity of the offer, speed in disbursing credit and highly competitive conditions.

The Progetto includes three new current accounts tailor-made to fit different customer profiles and a loan facility that can be obtained in just a few days, all combined with custom-made services and commercial initiatives.

In order to structure the offer, Intesa Sanpaolo involved a sample of customers in the sector, listened to the suggestions of the trade associations and used the findings of a market analysis carried out in collaboration with Eurisko. Two main customer profiles were identified: efficient and cost-effective banking services are the primary concern of the first profile, whilst the second profile needs more complex services and a high level  of advisory input.

Conto Business Light, Conto Business Illimitato and Conto Professionisti are the three current accounts with which Intesa Sanpaolo wishes to highlight its major focus on a key sector such as the Small Business and Professional sector; three transparent and convenient products, which simplify the previous facilities offered by the former Sanpaolo and Intesa banks.

The management fee, which is charged monthly, is blocked until the end of 2010 at least and is proportional to the number of services included in each account. The costs of the new current accounts will be reduced further if self-banking use increases and no charges are paid on electronic transfers.

PrestoBusiness is the loan facility created with Progetto Piccole Imprese e Professionisti: it supports business-related investments (the purchase of machinery, plant, equipment, instrumentation, furniture, the purchase and refurbishment of property for business use). The amount ranges from 5,000 to 75,000 euro, and there are no arrangement and payment collection fees and no penalties for early repayment. Intesa Sanpaolo undertakes to assess applications within 5 working days of receiving the documentation.

Progetto Piccole Imprese e Professionisti’ is an initiative to give customers simple solutions designed to meet their requirements.

Soddisfatti o Rimborsati, the guarantee – the only one of its kind in Italy - to refund the customer with the costs incurred if the account is closed within six months of being opened.

Once again the advertising campaign supporting the launch has been entrusted to the Gialappa’s Band and stars real employees of the Group. It is due to go out on Sunday 21 October with TV adverts and will also be continued in the press, on the radio and on-line.

For information

Intesa Sanpaolo - Rapporti con i Media
Costanza Esclapon
+39 02 87963531 – 3010
stampa@intesasanpaolo.com