Numerous incentives of various kinds are available to Italian companies (in particular SMEs) to encourage their internationalisation.

The handling of these measures is mainly ascribed to SIMEST, a State-controlled finance company, in accordance with Italian Law No. 100/90 and subsequent amendments.

FINEST - a finance company answerable to the Friuli V.G. and Veneto Regions, the Province of Trento and a considerable number of local banks - operates for companies located in the north east of Italy and having identical purposes as well as operations which are essentially similar and, in the majority of cases, complementary to Simest. Its operations are based on Italian Law No. 19/91 and subsequent amendments.

1. promotion of investments abroad;
2. promotion of foreign trade.

With regard to investments abroad (setting up of branches, fully controlled companies, joint ventures with local partners, etc.), the facilitated intervention comprises:

1. professional assistance and advice;
2. soft-rate loans for pre-feasibility and feasibility studies and technical assistance programmes;
3. participation in the capital of companies being set up, using both own funds and venture capital funds of the Italian State for areas of particular interest (China, the Balkans, the Mediterranean, Russia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America);
4. grants on the interest of bank loans associated with the investment.

With reference to the development of trade (creation of permanent structures for commercial penetration, participation in tenders, export credits, etc.) the facilitated intervention involves:

1. professional assistance and advice;
2. the granting of soft-rate loans for pre-feasibility and feasibility studies and technical assistance programmes associated with exports;
3. the granting of soft-rate loans for the investments associated with commercial penetration activities abroad;
4. granting of soft-rate loans for participation in international tenders;
5. export credit support by subsidizing the interests on the facility (Italian Legislative Decree No. 143/98 and subsequent amendments).

Due to the complexity of relevant legislation, the variability of situations, the availability of public funds supporting the various types of intervention and the changing situation of the international scenario, the approach to the facilities and agreements in question is a particularly delicate matter: direct and immediate contact with “R&M” is therefore advised from the very first approaches to the undertaking so that the various possibilities and potential benefits may be analysed with the necessary expertise.