SIMEST - Società Italiana per le Imprese all'Estero

Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 323
00186 Rome
Italy
Tel: +39 06 686 351
Email: info@simest.it
www.simest.it

General Information

SIMEST is the development finance institution dedicated to supporting and promoting the activities of Italian companies abroad. SIMEST was set up as a limited company in 1991. It is controlled by the Ministry for Economic Development , and its private-sector shareholders include major Italian banks and industrial business organizations. SIMEST aim is to promote the development of Italian business abroad.
SIMEST is a reference point for Italian firms for all aspects related to developing business on international markets.

Instruments

Equity

•    For investments in countries outside the European Union SIMEST can acquire shares in companies abroad of up to 49% of their capital stock, either by investing directly or through managing shares in venture capital Funds of the Ministry  for Economic Development for the promotion of investments by Italian companies in countries belonging to the following areas: Far East,   Africa and the Middle East,  Eastern Europe and the Balkans Central and South America;
•    SIMEST‘s participation also provides Italian businesses access to concessions (interest rate support) towards financing their share in foreign companies outside the European Union;
•    for investments in Italy and in other countries of the European Union SIMEST can acquire minority shares at market conditions in the capital stock of Italian companies and/or their EU subsidiaries, investing in production, innovation and research.

Others

Public internationalisation instruments:

SIMEST:
•    supports export credits for investments goods produced in Italy;
•    finances pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, and technical assistance programmes;
•     finances programmes to break into foreign markets;
•    finances interventions in favour of exporting SMEs.

SIMEST also provides professional consultancy and technical support services, such as:
scouting activities (seeking out opportunities abroad), matchmaking initiatives (locating
partners), pre-feasibility/feasibility studies, financial, legal and corporate assistance related
to foreign investment projects for which subsequent SIMEST involvement is foreseen.