“Grow in the South Fund” (Fondo Cresci al Sud)

WHAT IT FINANCES

The Fund intervenes to support growth in size and competitiveness, also through acquisition and aggregation processes. 

The main objectives of the Grow in the South Fund are: 

• supporting the growth and competitiveness of SMEs in the South 
• making available to family entrepreneurs, in addition to capital for development, their skills in governance, extraordinary finance, acquisitions, management of generational transition, contributing to the most appropriate and useful transformation for the growth path of the company 
• establishing a partnership between the ownership/management and INVITALIA aimed at creating value for all shareholders, with a shared development plan 
• stimulating private equity operations in the regions of Southern Italy, normally little overseen by Private Equity Funds 

The main characteristics of the target companies are: 

• fewer than 250 employees 
• value of production not less than € 10 million 
• turnover not exceeding € 50 million or total assets not exceeding € 43 million 
• the registered office and operations in the regions of Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise, Apulia, Sardinia and Sicily 
• virtuousness in terms of economic and financial fundamentals, market positioning, competitive advantage, development potential for both internal and external lines. 

Investments in newly established companies are also allowed, provided that they derive from the spin-off or aggregation of existing activities, without prejudice to the minimum threshold of revenues from sales and services for such activities spun off or the result of the combination of at least € 5 million. 

Interventions in favour of companies that are in a state of crisis or subject to insolvency proceedings, or in the context of and in execution of recovery plans or debt restructuring agreements are excluded.