BPI/EIF Credit Line for Agriculture

Credit line up to €95 million guaranteed by the European Investment Fund (EIF) to support investments in agricultural holdings and in the processing and marketing of agricultural products.

BPI signed a guarantee agreement with the EIF, within the scope of ESIF EAFRD Portugal FoF, to support investment projects in the agricultural and agroindustrial sector, in advantageous conditions.

ESIF EAFRD Portugal FoF is co-financed by the Portuguese Republic, the European Union, under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), and the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI). Europe invests in rural areas.

The purpose of these funds is to drive the financing and implementation of productive investments in the European Union, namely through the provision of guarantees. These guarantees allow the final beneficiaries in the agricultural and agri-food sectors to have access to the necessary financing to develop their activity, thus also contributing to the development of these sectors and to the creation of jobs and wealth in the targeted region.

Based on this agreement, BPI set up the ‘Linha BPI/FEI Agricultura’ (BPI/EIF Agriculture credit line), in the amount of €95 million, intended to finance investment projects in the agricultural and agroindustrial sectors in Mainland Portugal.

• Competitive financing conditions to support investment, working capital and general expenditure associated to investment projects;
• Targeting companies of any size in the agricultural and agroindustrial sectors, with eligible NACE (economic activity classification) and Combined Nomenclature Code;
• Access to a structured credit line with an EIF guarantee;
• The company benefits from the financial advantage associated to the EIF guarantee, with no inherent costs, obtaining more competitive spreads;
• Maturities of up to 15 years;
• No guarantee fee;
• Without consumption of de minimis aid.

• Companies (including Individual Entrepreneurs), regardless of size, in the agricultural and agroindustrial sectors;
• Resident and operating in Mainland Portugal;
• That meet the eligibility criteria specific to operations 3.1.3, 3.2.3 and 3.3.3 of the Rural Development Plan (RDP) 2020;
• That have not benefited from RDP 2020 aid for the investment they intend to finance through the ‘Linha BPI/FEI Agricultura’;
• Must have a declaration of conformity issued by the RDP 2020 Management Authority / IFAP I.P.;
• That do not meet the conditions to be considered as undertakings in difficulties, as defined in the General block exemption Regulation (EU Regulation No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014);
• That are registered with the Portuguese Tax Authority;
• That have no outstanding debts to the Tax Administration or the Social Security or unjustified incidents or defaults with banks;
• That do not belong to excluded sectors (e.g., purely financial activities, weapons, gambling, tobacco, cloning, etc.).

New financing operations to support investment projects located in Mainland Portugal:

• With eligible NACE and Combined Nomenclature Code;
• Intended for:
  - Investment in tangible and/or intangible assets;
  - Working capital included within the investment project's business plan not exceeding €200,000 or 30% of the amount of total eligible costs, whichever is the highest (only expenses with the acquisition of goods, raw materials, biological assets and labour, as well as expenses with the acquisition of annual plants, will be accepted);
  - General expenses related to the eligible investment, such as architects, engineers and consultants' fees, as well as costs related to environmental and economic sustainability advisory services, including feasibility studies.

The operations must meet eligibility criteria specific to the RDP 2020 operations:

• Operation 3.1.3 - Young farmers investment on the agricultural holding and Operation 3.2.3 - Investment on the agricultural holding
  
  Operations intended to finance one of the following investing activities:
  - Investments that improve the overall performance and sustainability of the agricultural holding;
  - Investments aimed at compliance with any of the EU Regulations applying to agricultural production, including safety at work, within 12 months of the introduction of the EU regulation in question;
  - Investments in irrigation, subject to compliance with article 46 of Regulation (EU) No. 1305/2014.

• Operation 3.3.3 - Investment in the processing and marketing of agricultural products (agroindustry)
  
  Operations aimed to finance the following investment activity:
  - Investments in the processing and marketing of agricultural products covered by Annex I of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (products with eligible Combined Nomenclature Code). In the particular case of processing, both the input and the output of the production process must be covered by the Annex.

Amount of the operations:

• Minimum: €50,000;
• Maximum: €3,000,000 (maximum amount per company).

• Minimum: 3 years;
• Maximum: up to 15 years. Operations of non-SME cannot have a maturity above 10 years.
• The date of the last repayment cannot fall later than on 31 December 2035.
• Grace period on principal payments: during the period of execution of the investment project, plus 6 months, subject to a maximum of 3 years.
• Disbursement period: limited to a maximum of 24 months, in no case ending after 31-12-2023.
• Maximum of 8 disbursements (4 disbursements for each drawdown year).
• A documentary check is a condition precedent to the disbursement of funds to the Client.

• Portfolio guarantee provided by the EIF;
• Other habitual guarantees may be requested by BPI.

This credit line is not considered for de minimis aid consumption.

However, the aid provided to the final beneficiaries must comply with the provisions of the Regulation of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), and in particular of the RDP.

Accordingly, the gross grant equivalent of each loan cannot surpass 35% of the total eligible cost of the investment project (including all expenses, namely working capital).

This calculation will be ensured by the Bank.

Beneficiary Branch

This information is provided for advertising purposes and does not constitute a contractual offer; you must read the pre-contractual and contractual information required by law.

Contracting subject to prior approval by the entities involved and subject to the conditions defined according to the risk profile of each operation.

Banco BPI, S.A., Rua Tenente Valadim, 284, Porto, Tied Insurance Intermediary no. 207232431 (registered with the Insurance and Pension Funds Supervision Authority on 31-10-2017 - more details on the registration available at www.asf.com.pt); authorised to carry on insurance business in the Life and Non-Life Branches with the insurers BPI Vida e Pensões - Companhia de Seguros Vida, S.A., Companhia de Seguros Allianz Portugal, S.A. and COSEC - Companhia de Seguro de Créditos, S.A. Banco BPI, S.A. is not authorised to receive premiums or enter into contracts on behalf of COSEC, Allianz or BPI Vida e Pensões and, as an insurance intermediary, assumes no responsibility for the coverage of risks inherent in the insurance contract.