UniCredit has introduced the “UniCredit for CEE 2025” programme, allocating €2.3bn ($2.37bn) to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).
This initiative builds on its 2024 programme, which aided more than 9,300 businesses with more than €2bn in funding.
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UniCredit made the announcement at The Central & Eastern European Forum in Vienna, Austria, attended by over 2,000 financial stakeholders from 45 countries.
The ‘UniCredit for CEE 2025’ programme will offer financial, operational, and advisory services to businesses to drive “growth and sustainability”.
Key features include access to over €2.3bn across 57 programmes in collaboration with international partners such as the European Investment Bank, European Investment Fund, and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Benefits include reduced collateral and special account conditions, the bank said.
Additionally, the programme offers tailored account management services, fee waivers for third-sector organisations, and bespoke packages for new clients.
Businesses will also benefit from workshops, mentoring, and development programmes focused on sustainability and innovation.
UniCredit CEE head Teodora Petkova said: “CEE is a strategic region of growth for Europe and UniCredit. We are a strong and reliable partner, supporting our clients through innovative initiatives like UniCredit for CEE, as we seek to deliver on our purpose to empower the communities that we operate in to progress.”
Despite a challenging macroeconomic environment, UniCredit’s macroeconomists predict that CEE economies will outpace Western Europe, with growth between 2% and 3% in 2025.
Last month, it was reported that UniCredit Leasing Serbia (UCL) is to receive a senior loan of up to €40m from the EBRD through the WB Green Outcomes-Linked Debt Financing Framework.
The funding is intended to help UCL offer leasing options to SMEs in Serbia, aiding their expansion and shift towards green economy practices.
