Programmes deployed by the EIF in Austria
The EIF has deployed capital in Austria under a wide range of programmes and mandates. Here is a list for your reference:
EaSI
The Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) programme promotes quality and sustainable employment, improves working conditions and decent social protection, while combating social
exclusion and poverty.
This EU-level instrument has been active since 2014 with a budget of EUR 919m in 2013 prices.
EFSI
The European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) was launched in July 2015 as a joint initiative between the EU and the EIB Group. EFSI is the financial pillar of the EU’s Investment Plan for Europe and has two components: the Infrastructure and Innovation Window managed by the EIB and the SME Window implemented by the EIF.
InnovFin
InnovFin aims to facilitate and accelerate access to finance for innovative businesses and other innovative entities in Europe. It covers both debt and equity financing. The InnovFin SME Guarantee (SMEG) offers a 50% uncapped guarantee or counter guarantee to financial intermediaries to allow them to provide debt financing on more favourable terms to innovative SMEs and small mid-caps.
Meanwhile, InnovFin Equity provides equity investments and co-investments to or alongside funds focusing on companies in their pre-seed, seed and start-up phases operating in innovative sectors.
COSME
COSME is the EU programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs. It facilitates access to finance for SMEs, promotes competitiveness and encourages an environment favourable to entrepreneurs.
Set up in 2014 by the European Commission with a budget of EUR 2.3bn, COSME is deployed at the EIF via loan guarantee facilities (COSME LGF) and equity investments (COSME Equity Facility for Growth or EFG).
CeFoF
The Central European Fund of Funds (CeFoF) is a fund-of-funds initiative created by the European Investment Fund (EIF) in close co-operation with the governments and national agencies of Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia (the CE countries) to boost equity investments into small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small mid-caps across the region, establishing a sound market-based risk financing infrastructure, implementing the best market standards for equity investments in businesses and attracting institutional investors and investment managers to Central Europe.
EAF
EAF is an initiative advised by EIF which provides equity to Business Angels and other non-institutional investors for the financing of innovative companies in the form of co-investments. EAF works hand in hand with Business Angels and helps them to increase their investment capacity by co-investing into innovative companies in the seed, early or growth stage. The activity of EAF is adapted to the Business Angels’ investment style by granting the highest degree of freedom in terms of decision making and management of investments.
