Serbian small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-cap companies will have access to €56.5 million in EU-backed financing through a new programme developed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and UniCredit Serbia. The package combines €50 million in loans and leasing finance with €6.5 million in grants, linking access to preferential funding with commitments related to employment and workforce development. UniCredit Bank Serbia will provide €20 million in loans, supported by €2.6 million in grants. A further €30 million will be channelled through UniCredit Leasing Serbia, together with €3.9 million in grant funding.
Financing linked to employment commitments
Companies participating in the programme will be expected to support longer-term employment and career-development opportunities for groups facing greater barriers to the labour market, including women, young people and people with disabilities.
The structure means that companies seeking preferential financing must consider workforce planning alongside the financial performance of their investment projects. Projects involving machinery, commercial vehicles or production equipment can therefore incorporate recruitment, training and employment-retention measures into their financing plans.
Leasing expands access to productive assets
The inclusion of €30 million in leasing finance broadens the programme beyond companies relying on conventional corporate loans. Leasing can provide financing for productive assets including machinery, transport equipment, agricultural assets and other capital goods, particularly for SMEs with more limited access to long-term conventional bank financing. The €6.5 million grant component can also reduce investment costs for eligible companies that meet agreed employment and inclusion objectives.
Fourth EIB-UniCredit operation in Serbia
The programme forms part of a broader shift in EU-backed financing toward objectives including decarbonisation, energy efficiency, digitalisation, governance and social inclusion. For lenders, such financing requires monitoring of borrowers against predefined environmental, employment or governance criteria, extending due diligence beyond the initial credit approval. The latest programme is the fourth EIB-UniCredit financing operation in Serbia. The partnership has provided approximately €240 million in cumulative financing and reached more than 1,000 companies. The new facility combines corporate financing with employment and workforce-development commitments, connecting investment funding with measurable outcomes for participating Serbian businesses.
