SMEs: INTESA SANPAOLO MAKES A DONATION FOR EVERY S-LOAN

HIGH SOCIAL IMPACT PROJECTS IDENTIFIED

· The bank will donate an amount for every S-Loan
· "A Scuola di Inclusione: giocando si impara" is the first project to receive donations in connection with the new S-Loans
· Intesa Sanpaolo is the first impact bank: 1 billion euro provided for SME investments in sustainable growth and circular economy

Milan, 12 April 2021 – For every S-Loan disbursed to Italian small and medium-sized enterprises, Intesa Sanpaolo will make a donation to a charitable project that will be funded on the ForFunding.it website, the Group's crowdfunding platform. The new initiative was conceived to correlate additional social impact with the granting of credit to companies that want to improve their sustainability profile.

The first project financed with the donations associated with Intesa Sanpaolo's new S-Loans is "A Scuola di Inclusione: giocando si impara" (At School for Inclusion: learning through play), coordinated by UILDM - the Unione Italiana Lotta alla Distrofia Muscolare - that aims to encourage the social inclusion of children with disabilities.

Italy's leading banking group thus strengthens the link between bank and business by joining forces, through the donation, to pursue a worthy cause and amplify the impact of the Sustainability-Loan on society and the environment. The client-companies may also contribute to the project with a donation of their own.

Fundraising for the first project to be financed by donations linked to Intesa Sanpaolo's S-Loan is available on the Group's crowdfunding platform ForFunding at the following link: https://www.forfunding.intesasanpaolo.com/DonationPlatform-ISP/nav/progetto/giocando-si-impara and aims to renovate 28 children's playgrounds in several towns across 16 Italian regions, where playground equipment that is accessible to children with disabilities will be installed (Abruzzo, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardy, Marche, Piedmont, Puglia, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany, Trentino Alto Adige and Veneto).

With this new initiative, Intesa Sanpaolo is consolidating its role of supporting the transition of companies towards ESG (environment, social, governance) objectives to help relaunch the country's economy.

S-Loan is, in fact, an innovative loan launched by the Group a few months ago to increase the sustainability profile of SMEs. The Bank recognises the commitment of businesses to a more sustainable future, providing beneficial pricing for improving some of the decisive factors behind a company's environmental, social and governance impact. Intesa Sanpaolo has already disbursed loans amounting to 1 billion euro for projects tied to sustainability through S-Loan and Circular Economy, a sign of the growing interest by businesses in focusing their development strategy.

Sustainability is in fact one of the areas targeted by 'Motore Italia', Intesa Sanpaolo's strategic programme that makes 50 billion euro of new credit available to SMEs for liquidity and investment in sustainable and digital transition.

"Starting today, the connection with our SMEs is further strengthened through solidarity and high social impact, thanks to which we will create inclusive play areas for all children in almost all of Italy," said Anna Roscio, executive director of the Sales&Marketing Companies Department of Intesa Sanpaolo. "S-Loan, our innovative solution designed for companies that share sustainable growth objectives, evolves and strengthens through our share of donations, which also becomes an opportunity for the bank to increase its social impact through a virtuous and mutually beneficial system".

To further raise awareness among Italian SMEs on topics related to sustainable transition, Intesa Sanpaolo will launch a regional roadshow. The meetings will involve the Regional Departments of the Banca dei Territori and will give companies that have distinguished themselves for their virtuous behaviour the opportunity to share their experience and best practices to provide a practical example to SMEs that want to embark on the journey of sustainable development with the expert knowledge of Intesa Sanpaolo.

 

 

 

Press information:

Intesa Sanpaolo
Media Relations Banca dei Territori e Media locali
stampa@intesasanpaolo.com
https://group.intesasanpaolo.com/it/sala-stampa/news

Intesa Sanpaolo
Intesa Sanpaolo is the leading Bank in Italy and one of the soundest and most profitable banks in Europe. It offers commercial, corporate investment banking, asset management and insurance services. The Intesa Sanpaolo Group has approximately 14.6 million customers in Italy who are assisted through both digital and traditional channels and 7.2 million customers abroad with subsidiaries operating in commercial banking in 12 countries in Central Eastern Europe and Middle Eastern and North African areas and an international network of specialists in support of corporate customers across 26 countries. Intesa Sanpaolo is recognized as one of the most sustainable banks in the world. For the Group, creating value means being a driver for growth, for the benefit of both society and the economy. As regards the environment, the Group has set up a 6-billion-euro fund for the circular economy. Intesa Sanpaolo supports major economic inclusion and poverty reduction projects, including an impact fund of 1.5 billion euro for loans available to social groups who struggle to access credit. Intesa Sanpaolo has a high level of involvement in cultural initiatives, organised by the Bank or in collaboration with other entities in Italy and further afield. These include permanent and temporary exhibitions showcasing the Bank’s impressive artistic heritage at the Gallerie d’Italia, the Group’s museums located in Milan, Naples, Vicenza and soon Turin.