ING and EIB unlock €800 million for SMEs and mid‑caps in Belgium and the Netherlands
Lower interest rates for sustainable, future-ready business investments
ING and the European Investment Bank (EIB) are joining forces to make €800 million available for investments that will help small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid‑caps in Belgium and the Netherlands become more sustainable and future ready. The EIB is providing ING with a €400 million loan, which is itself also making €400 million available for these financings.
Thanks to the favourable terms offered by the EIB, businesses can benefit from lower interest rates on new loans and leases that support sustainable business operations. Of the total amount, €300 million will be available to companies in Belgium and €500 million to ING business customers in the Netherlands.
ING and the EIB have worked together for many years. Through eight previous programmes, more than 4 100 companies have received financing totalling €2.85 billion since 2009.
Saskia Bauters, Head of Business Banking ING Belgium: “By passing on the financial advantage from the EIB, we will increase the investment capacity of SMEs and mid-caps in Belgium. This benefit motivates entrepreneurs to switch to a sustainable and future-proof business model faster and in a more targeted way. The facility will become available to our customers in the coming weeks.”
Torsten Brand, head of the EIB office in Belgium, highlighted access to finance for Belgian companies: “Our cooperation with ING will give small and medium businesses greater opportunities in challenging times. Now is the moment for them to think long term and invest in sustainability. This is a priority for the EIB, and we are pleased to be able to provide financing for this together with ING.”
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About ING
ING Belgium is a universal bank that provides financial services for private individuals, businesses and institutional customers. ING Belgium S.A./N.V. is a subsidiary of ING Group N.V. via ING Bank N.V. (www.ing.com).
ING is a global financial institution with a strong European base, offering banking services through its operating company ING bank. The purpose of ING Bank is: empowering people to stay a step ahead in life and in business. ING Bank’s more than 60,000 employees offer retail and wholesale banking services to customers in over 100 countries.
ING Group shares are listed on the exchanges of Amsterdam (INGA NA, INGA.AS), Brussels and on the New York Stock Exchange (ADRs: ING US, ING.N).
ING aims to put sustainability at the heart of what we do. Our policies and actions are assessed by independent research and ratings providers, which give updates on them annually. ING's ESG rating by MSCI has been upgraded from 'AA' to 'AAA' in October 2025. As of June 2025, in Sustainalytics’ view, ING’s management of ESG material risk is ‘Strong’ with an ESG risk rating of 18.0 (low risk). ING Group shares are also included in major sustainability and ESG index products of leading providers. Here are some examples: Euronext, STOXX, Morningstar and FTSE Russell.
EIB Group at a glance
The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group is the financing arm of the European Union, owned by the 27 Member States, and one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion in new financing and advisory services for over 870 high-impact projects under eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, territorial cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, strong global partnerships and the savings and investments union. Beyond long-term loans for large infrastructure, the EIB Group crowds in private investment for high-risk innovative projects and businesses, with a growing role in Europe’s markets for venture debt, venture capital, guarantees and securitisations.
Photos of the EIB Group's representatives and headquarters, logo files and video B-roll for media use are available here.
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