The European Investment Bank (EIB) has partnered with UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia to unlock up to €400 million in new financing for mid-cap companies in Czechia and Slovakia. Under the agreement, the EIB is providing a €200 million guarantee, which will allow the local lender to offer up to twice that amount in new loans to manufacturing and export-oriented businesses in the two countries.
This arrangement is designed to improve access to favourable financing for mid-cap firms, which are considered vital to both national economies. By using the EIB guarantee, UniCredit will be able to provide loans with longer repayment periods and larger loan amounts, making it easier for fast-growing businesses with higher borrowing needs to secure support for expansion, investment, and operational resilience.
A notable feature of the operation is that it includes the option for loans to be issued in both euros and Czech korunas. This is the first time such an EIB-backed operation in Czechia and Slovakia has included a local-currency lending option, which could help businesses better manage exchange-rate risks and access financing in a form more suited to their domestic operations.
The initiative specifically targets mid-cap companies in sectors such as manufacturing and exports, which play a central role in the Czech and Slovak economies and are closely linked to wider European Union supply chains. These businesses have been facing pressure from rising input costs, inflation, and volatile global market conditions, making improved financing access particularly important at this stage.
According to the EIB, the guarantee will strengthen the competitiveness of both economies by enabling companies to invest, innovate, and adapt in a difficult business environment. The agreement also expands UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia’s lending capacity by easing capital constraints, allowing the bank to support a larger number of companies and bigger projects than it otherwise could.
UniCredit said the partnership will help it support businesses more effectively as they seek long-term stability and growth in a changing economic landscape. The bank positioned itself as a strategic partner for companies looking to strengthen their position, unlock investment, and navigate uncertainty with stronger financial backing.
The guarantee is part of the EIB’s broader €4 billion Growth4MidCaps Lending Envelope, a programme launched in March 2023 to address persistent financing gaps faced by mid-cap companies across the European Union. Through risk-sharing arrangements with financial intermediaries, the programme aims to unlock additional lending capacity, particularly during periods of economic uncertainty when access to finance can become more constrained.
Beyond traditional loans, the initiative also points to the growing use of new financial instruments such as mini-bonds, which can help broaden capital market access for mid-cap firms in the region. By diversifying funding channels, the programme is intended to strengthen the long-term financing ecosystem available to these businesses and reduce overreliance on conventional bank lending alone.
The EIB also noted that its guarantee can have a wider market effect by signalling confidence to private investors. This kind of public-backed support can encourage additional private capital to flow into the sector, helping to crowd in further investment at a time when many companies are facing complex global challenges and heightened uncertainty.
More broadly, the deal reflects the EIB Group’s larger role in supporting economic development across Europe. In 2025, the EIB Group, which includes the European Investment Fund, signed nearly €100 billion in new financing, with those commitments expected to mobilise around €350 billion in investment and create 1.5 million jobs by 2029. In Czechia alone, the EIB Group signed operations worth €1.93 billion last year, underlining its continued engagement in the region.
