From Intesa Sanpaolo new 20 billion euro plan for crafts, trade and tourism

New resources to support the growth of trade, crafts and tourism. Intesa Sanpaolo has signed an agreement with Confcommercio, Federalberghi and Confartigianato which makes 20 billion euros available in new financing for innovation, digitalisation, energy efficiency and redevelopment. The plan also includes measures to reduce the costs of electronic payments, with the elimination of POS commissions on purchases of up to 20 euros and savings estimated at around 100 million euros for small merchants.

Credit support and interest coverage

Through the Banca dei Territori led by Stefano Barrese, the banking group will offer new lines of credit and will bear the interest of the first installment of the loans expiring at the end of 2026, 2027 and 2028. "Our country is made vital by small entrepreneurs who pass on Italian know-how between different generations and enrich the production chains. We must protect this heritage and we must do it together with the associative world", says Carlo Messina, managing director and CEO of Intesa Sanpaolo. Small and very small companies represent a pool of approximately 800 thousand customers of the Banca dei Territori division whose support, from 2020 to June 2026, translated into over 20 billion euros in loans disbursed. The key word is "proximity, accompaniment. Most micro-businesses are families, companies with at most one or two employees and we want to accompany them so that we can all emerge from this phase stronger together", underlines Barrese.

Measures for trade, crafts and tourism

The initiative arises from a new system pact between the bank and trade associations to strengthen the competitiveness of businesses and address the challenges linked to energy costs, digital transformation, training and employment protection. For trade, the elimination of commissions on POS payments up to 20 euros, preferential conditions on digital payments above this threshold and a dedicated initiative on the POS fee are envisaged. The operations involved are around 3 billion per year, for a value of around 40 billion euros. For the craft sector, financing solutions are being introduced for investments in digital and energy, concessions on invoice advance lines to support liquidity management and dedicated conditions on POS solutions. For tourism, Intesa Sanpaolo intends to support investments in the energy requalification of accommodation facilities and facilitate the financial management of seasonality through new tools such as the "Hotel Booking Advance" lines, which allow seasonal peaks to be managed with greater flexibility. "The system pact - highlights Carlo Sangalli, president of Confcommercio - signed today with Intesa Sanpaolo for the growth of small businesses and territories is of great importance". According to Bernabò Bocca, president of Federalberghi, the initiative "makes us feel less alone". Small businesses are facing a "complex phase which, despite the difficulties, requires accelerating investments to maintain competitiveness and growth capacity", declares Marco Granelli, president of Confartigianato.

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