Economy support

Constant attention is paid to the world of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises that are the engine of our economy. 

Among the main products dedicated to SME clients is the sustainability-linked loan, designed to support companies in a structural transformation path by linking financial decisions to environmental and social impacts, through specific commitments agreed with the Bank and measured via ESG indicators (KPIs) subject to annual monitoring. In addition to financial products, in 2025 several initiatives continued to identify and support companies engaged in sustainability paths.

CresciBusiness

The program, launched in 2022, continues to support micro, small and freelance businesses on their journey towards digital and sustainable growth. With a wide range of offers in various sectors, the initiative facilitates access to tailor-made financial products, promotes financial education also with reference to the state incentives available and facilitates access to credit. 

In 2024, the second edition of "CresciBusiness – Progettiamo "Sostenibile" emphasized environmental, social and governance practices. Among over 2,000 candidate companies, 120 were selected and met during a nationwide tour of 120 stages between February and April 2025.

 "CresciBusiness – Let's design sustainable"  encourages companies to adopt business models that integrate business growth, environmental well-being and social responsibility, which translates into the optimization of consumption to reduce environmental impact, the implementation of circular economy practices, the choice of suppliers with sustainable practices, development of products with low environmental impact, promotion of fair labor practices and local communities.

Incent Now

As part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), the Bank offers its clients free access to “IncentNow”, the online platform of partner Deloitte, which enables consultation of public calls and has over 16,500 registered users.

In addition, thanks to the Group’s specialized partners, informational webinars were organized to present opportunities and offer advisory services. For approximately 43,000 clients who were awarded tenders available on the platform, Intesa Sanpaolo provided a wide range of financial products to advance grants or complement public subsidies.

Imprese Vincenti

An initiative that highlights the paths of growth, digital transformation and business models developed by companies also in the ESG field. The aim is to provide visibility, development support programmes, counselling expertise and workshops in collaboration with key partners.

Since the first edition in 2019, over 650 companies have been recognized out of more than 14,000 applicants.

The sixth edition was launched in 2025 and focuses on territories, business development and transformation, risk protection, sustainability and business continuity. 

Programma Sviluppo Filiere

The Sviluppo Filiere Program, dedicated to Italian production chains, concretely enhances the strategic approach aimed at strengthening relations between SMEs connected to them, maximizing opportunities for growth and development through the enhancement of industrial relations. The program has been further enriched with the introduction of the Supply Chain Development Program - Sustainable Supply Chains, aimed at promoting virtuous ESG paths for the supply chain. This initiative provides for the granting of dedicated economic conditions and the expansion of the offer of products and services to support digitization, training and cybersecurity. At the end of 2025, the program involved over 900 supply chains, with a potential of approximately 23,500 suppliers and a workforce of more than 124,000 employees.

“Resto al Sud”

An initiative active since 2018, supporting the creation and development of new businesses and self-employment activities in Southern Italy, later extended to other areas under the name “Resto Qui”. 
Managed by Invitalia, the initiative targets individuals aged between 18 and 55 who intend to start or develop a business established after June 21, 2017. 
In 2025, Intesa Sanpaolo granted approximately 500 loans for nearly €19 million under this subsidized financing program.

The Welfare Hub Service allows companies to provide bonuses to their employees which allows companies to provide bonuses to their employees in the form of welfare services, as an alternative to paying them in their salaries, thus taking advantage of the tax benefits provided by law for both the company and the employees. The service takes the form of a digital platform accessible via PCs, tablets, smartphones and Apps. At the end of 2025, approximately 5,900 companies had joined the service.

Intesa Sanpaolo is committed to supporting female entrepreneurship and promoting gender equality through a range of financial products and initiatives. The Business Gemma loan is a medium-long term financial product designed to support investments or meet the liquidity needs of women-owned businesses and the self-employed. With flexible terms, including the possibility of suspending capital payments for up to 12 months in cases such as maternity, this loan also allows access to the SME Guarantee Fund dedicated to female entrepreneurs, at no additional cost. In 2025, approximately 110 loans were disbursed for a total of around €6 million. 

A specific sustainability-linked loan - called S-Loan Diversity - has been specifically designed to support the SMEs that strengthen the role of women in the workforce. This initiative encourages measures for gender equality, the hiring of women and the implementation of welfare policies. In line with European gender equality standards, the initiative aims to ensure that women have better access to credit and greater economic independence, thus contributing to the reduction of inequalities.

The International Banks Division also supports female entrepreneurship through initiatives such as the “Women in Business” program of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which in 2025 provided approximately €13.2 million to around 540 women entrepreneurs in Serbia.

In addition, Intesa Sanpaolo celebrates gender equality through the Women Value Company - Intesa award Sanpaolo Award, created in collaboration with the Marisa Bellisario Foundation. This award honors small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that excel in women's empowerment and implement inclusion policies.  Since 2017, the award has recognized over 900 companies.

To create opportunities for business development and acceleration for the most promising start-ups with a strong innovative spirit, Intesa Sanpaolo has developed several accompanying initiatives. These include, in addition to financing, the Intesa Sanpaolo Start-Up Initiative program and the Tech Marketplace digital platform.

 The latter facilitates the interaction between start-ups, SMEs and large companies, connecting technology supply and demand in order to create partnerships, commercial agreements and acquisitions. Among the available financing solutions are Neoimpresa and D-Loan. In 2025, approximately 1,200 Neoimpresa loans were granted for over €76 million, and around 20 D-Loans for more than €11 million. 

To support SME digitalization, the Group also offers “Nova+”, a medium- to long-term financing program structured in three lines: Nova+ Research, Nova+ Purchase and Nova+ Patents & Designs.