In March 2022 the Region Friuli Venezia Giulia (north-eastern Italy) approved the creation of an in-house society aimed at acting as an operational body to rule public financial instruments enabling market-driven innovation and easing the enterprises' access to credit. It will be owned 80% by the Region and its main target is the SMEs.
The new financial intermediary called FVG PLUS Spa is expected to be fully operational in 2023 first quarter and it will cover a gap in the regional landscape taking over the execution of the entire portfolio of existing and forthcoming public financial instruments, including the guarantee fund for Venture Capital.
FVG PLUS is itself the result of the international peer learning exercise conducted via the Exchanges of Experience study visits within the framework of the Innova-FI project, where a number of best practices have been identified.
In parallel, as a synthesis of a broad dialogue with the local public and private stakeholders from the Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, two specific interventions have been included in the action plan (about strengthening the Venture Capital Guarantee Fund and providing a feasibility study for the creation of a joint public and private venture fund that will invest according to non-discretionary rules in crowdfunding campaigns promoted by innovative start-ups and SMEs) and its results will be now acknowledged by FVG PLUS board.
