SEK and savings banks collaborate for SMEs

Swedish Export Credit Corporation (SEK) launches close collaboration with Sparbanken Finn and Sparbanken Gripen to assist smaller and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Sweden with long-term financing.

The mutually ownd company Frispar Företagskredit will give access to competitive long-term credits to a number of the banks' clients, many of whom focus on exports.  Supporting the Frispar Företagskredit is also the European Investment Fund, EIF, that functions as the mutually owned creditors guarantee institute. EIF is since 1994 the EU organization responsible for assisting SMEs within the Union. The assistance primarily comes in the form of venture capital, but also by EIF acting as a garantor for financial institutes that lend money to smaller companies.

- SEK will secure access to financial solutions for export and infrastructure by offering competitive financial solutions. Our collaboration with Sparbanken Finn and Sparbanken Gripen provides us with the opportunity to reach the small and medium-sized companies, says Peter Yngwe, SEK President.

- We are very proud and happy that we through a good collaboration with SEK and EIF grow the ways in which we can offer our corporate clients long-term credits to beneficial terms. The collaboration is perfectly in line with our role as a local bank that wants to stimulate growth in Swedish industry and trade, says Mats Nilsson, President in Sparbanken Gripen AB and Lars-Erik Skjutare, President in Sparbanken Finn.

For more information, please contact:

Peter Yngwe, President, Svensk Exportkredit, +46 8 613 83 70
Lars M Andersson, Information Director, SEK +46 70 591 17 89
Jan-Olof Arvidsson, Head of Credit, Sparbanken Finn, +46 768 53 31 10
Mats Nilsson, President, Sparbanken Gripen, +46 431 48 06 99
Per-Erik Eriksson, EIF, +352 426688-316