6 ways we help regions and cities across the EU

Regions and cities are facing big challenges to stimulate the economy and improve their citizens’ quality of life. The EIB Group responds to these needs by supporting investments in social housing, education, small businesses or post-disaster recovery, among many others.

What type of support do we provide? Who can benefit? And what difference does it make? Explore the resources below, part of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) coordinated by the European Committee of Regions.

Social housing: A home for everyone

Did you know that housing costs around 25% of European citizens’ budget? Our urban development expert Barbara Lemke explains how the EIB prioritises investments in social and affordable housing throughout Europe.

Download the video transcript

Investing in education

There is a clear case for investment in education in Europe. Today’s students will develop tomorrow’s innovations. As the EU bank, our financing enables cities and regions to bridge the gap between education needs and tight public resources.

Discover how in this factsheet

Small and medium-sized enterprises

5 March 2018

Small businesses: the backbone of the EU economy

70% of the European workforce is employed by small and medium-sized enterprises. This accounts for 90 million people, or the combined population of Germany and Denmark! Watch our experts Nina van Doren and Helmut Kraemer-Eis explain how the EIB Group supports SMEs.

Download the transcript.

5 February 2018

EIB Group support for small businesses

Discover in this video animation the main EIB Group products to facilitate access to finance for small businesses. Our offer (loans, guarantees and equity) help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) all over the EU benefit from favourable conditions through our network of over 1 000 local partner banks.

Smaller businesses: a key priority for our economy (factsheet)

Smaller businesses are often referred to as “the backbone of the EU economy”. Supporting them is a top priority for European, national, regional and local authorities. The EIB Group provides targeted support to SMEs at any stage of their development.

How to make the most of EFSI

If someone were to offer you EUR 500 billion to tackle the biggest challenges our continent faces, how would you spend the money? Through the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), part of the Investment Plan for Europe, the EIB Group is helping get Europe back on track after years of financial and economic hardship.

Find more in our factsheet

Build back better: Post-disaster recovery

When a natural disaster strikes (earthquake, flood...), it puts people's lives, the natural environment and the economy at risk. As part of our integrated territorial approach, the EU bank supports European regions in their risk prevention and reconstruction efforts. Here are some examples.

Download the video transcript

Boosting urban development projects

The array of EU financing and advisory programmes available to cities is so wide that finding the best solution for their needs can become a challenge.

URBIS, a new urban advisory platform created by the European Commission and the EIB, has been set up to help urban authorities access tailor-made solutions and accelerate their urban investment projects. Find more detailed information on URBIS in our factsheet or watch the Facebook live with our expert Patricia Llopis.

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