NEW: extended relief measures to compensate for loss of income also extended to businesses affected by the floods in Tuscany in November 2023

The compensation measure for proven loss of income suffered as a result of the disaster, already in place for Emilia-Romagna and neighbouring municipalities, has been extended to businesses in the areas affected by the November 2023 floods in Tuscany. Access to non-repayable grants will be extended to all exporting businesses and to those businesses that do not directly export but are part of an export-oriented production chain and whose turnover derives from proven transactions with businesses directly operating in foreign markets, located in the areas affected by the floods in the provinces of Florence, Livorno, Pisa, Pistoia and Prato, where the event has led to the total or partial suspension of activity.

The overall funding for these extraordinary measures for Emilia-Romagna, neighboring municipalities, and Tuscany amounts to €300 million.

Companies affected by the flooding in Tuscany will also have access to the same conditions provided in the SIMEST package through Fund 394 for accessing the Digital and Ecological Transition tool. This includes the option to allocate 90% of the financing to strengthen capital resources, a €400 million reserve, and a 10% non-repayable grant portion.

Additionally, businesses can request an exemption from providing guarantees on applications submitted between July 27, 2023, and December 31, 2024.

SIMEST has also activated the option for companies in affected areas of Tuscany, as was provided after the May 2023 flood, to suspend capital and interest payments on existing loans from Fund 394 and the PNRR/Fund 394 measure until December 31, 2024. The total repayment period will remain the same, and reporting deadlines on these loans are extended by 6 months.

For information on active measures supporting affected businesses, you can contact the dedicated email:

simestperalluvione2023@simest.it

For assistance with SIMEST measures, Customer Care is available at: info@simest.it

Please note that to prevent and combat violations against the economic and financial interests of the State and the European Union, businesses applying for and benefiting from subsidized financing through public funds may be subject to verification by competent authorities at any stage of the process.

• From 9 a.m. on 7 August 2025, it will be possible to access the Portal to complete and submit funding applications relating to the “Digital or Ecological Transition” instrument.
• From 6 p.m. on 6 August until 9 a.m. on 7 August, the Portal will be offline for updating in preparation for opening, and no operations will be possible.
• From 9 a.m. on 16 September 2025, it will be possible to access the Portal to complete and submit funding applications relating to (i) the new instrument “Strategic support for the Indian market”, (ii) the new dedicated conditions for ‘Competitiveness of Italian companies and supply chains in Central or South America’ and ‘Strengthening African markets’, (iii) the new dedicated conditions for strategic markets for ‘Market entry’, ‘Certifications and consulting’, ‘Trade fairs and events’, ‘E-commerce’, ‘Temporary managers’.
• From 6 p.m. on 15 September until 9 a.m. on 16 September, the Portal will be offline for updating in preparation for opening, and no operations will be possible.

Filling out the request

• For the purpose of filling out the application, it is necessary to (i) attach all the necessary Documentation as per the Circular, (ii) indicate the information of the legal representative, (iii) indicate the information of the beneficial owner of the requesting Enterprise, (iv) upload the contract for opening the dedicated current account, (v) Articles of Association of the enterprise. All documents must be digitally signed.
• In any case, the submission of the application does not imply the right to the deliberation/grant of the intervention, which remains subject to the completeness of the application, the existence of the access requirements, the successful completion of the SIMEST preliminary investigation and the actual availability of financial resources, as well as the positive deliberation by the Facilities Committee.