Vigne del Malina, a family business producing aged wines in the north-eastern Italian commune of Remanzacco, Udine, could modernise their processes and improve their energy efficiency thanks to the Friuli Venezia Giulia’s EAFRD Loan Fund. Vigne del Malina could purchase a new tractor as well as a sprayer which make their wine production more efficient. Their new wine ageing cellar and state of the art cooling and humidity control system help them considerably reduce their energy bills.

The EAFRD Loan Fund, a revolving fund set-up with EUR 93 million, from the Rural Development Programme of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region and regional resources has already helped hundreds of farmers in the Friuli Venezia-Giulia region to innovate and grow their business.

Konstantinos Gkotzamanis is a cotton and cereal producer in Karditsa, Greece. Thanks to the support of the EAFRD Guarantee Fund, he was able to buy a new tractor for seeding and harvesting that helps him to reduce energy costs and to double his crop production.

The EAFRD guarantee instrument showcased in the video aims to improve access to finance conditions for agricultural and agri-food enterprises in Greece to help beneficiaries get their investment projects off the ground.

Explore insights from the online thematic fi-compass workshop on the 'Implementation of grants and financial instruments combined in a single operation', organised by the European Commission's DG REGIO and the European Investment Bank. Delve into discussions on key topics such as the application of financial instrument rules to grant components, State aid considerations, and management costs and fees. Gain valuable knowledge and best practices shared by practitioners during the workshop, alongside an extended Q&A session addressing various aspects of combining financial instruments with grants.