Business Protection Fund (Fondo Salvaguardia Imprese)

WHAT IT FINANCES

The Fund intervenes to support, at the same time with independent private investors and/or historical shareholders, the restructuring plan presented by the company experiencing difficulty that illustrates the actions it intends upon implementing to support the continuity and the development of the company’s activities, restore profitability and safeguard employment. The Fund finances restructuring programmes finalised at the safeguarding of employment levels and the continuation of the activities of the company. 

Companies experiencing economic and financial difficulties can present an application as long as they meet at least one of the following conditions: 

• they are historic brands of national interest with more than 20 employees 
• they are capital companies with more than 250 employees   
• they possess assets and relations of strategic importance for the national interest (regardless of the number of employees) 
   

Main objectives of the Business Protection Fund: 

• supporting the continuity and development of company activities 
• reducing the occupational impact connected to the situation of economic and financial crisis; 
• activating private/public capital in support of the implementation of the restructuring plans of companies experiencing difficulty 
• establishing a partnership between the ownership/management and INVITALIA aimed at creating value for all shareholders, with a shared restructuring plan
   

Target companies (the 2 characteristics have to coexist): 

• companies experiencing economic and financial difficulties: 
  • a. pursuant to European guidelines (paragraph 2.2 of Communication 2014/C 249/01)  or 
  • b. with prospective cash flows that are inadequate for duly meeting the planned obligations (state of difficulty not pursuant to paragraph 2.2 of Communication 2014/C 249/01) 
• companies that meet at least one of the following conditions: 
  • a. they are historic brands of national interest with more than 20 employees 
  • b. they are capital companies with more than 250 employees (consolidated data including fixed-term workers, apprentices and workers with a part-time employment contract, employed in workplaces located throughout the national territory) 
  • c. they possess assets and relations of strategic importance for the national interest regardless of the number of employees.