Societe Generale launches new financing solutions to encourage investment by SMEs

Societe Generale is announcing the launch of new financing initiatives and solutions in order to encourage investment by small-and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and to continue to actively participate in financing the economy. Societe Generale, a long-standing partner of businesses, reaffirms its commitments both to supporting their development and its involvement in collective efforts to stimulate the European and French economy.

On the back of the measures recently announced by the ECB to support the economy, Societe Generale group is launching, in its Societe Generale and Crédit du Nord network of retail banks, a special loan offer(1) aimed at encouraging investment by businesses in France. The Group has earmarked EUR 2bn for loans for SMEs, micro-businesses and professionals at exceptionally low interest rates to finance their investment projects.
In addition to its bank loans, Societe Generale is regularly adapting its offer to better meet the new needs of its business clients. One such example was factoring, where in June 2014 the bank launched "Avance évolutive", which finances companies' invoices on a temporary basis. The bank also has leadership positions in
international trade finance and disintermediation.
Societe Generale is also committed to improving the quality of its relationship with clients on a daily basis by focusing on expertise and proximity with businesses. The Bank has thus significantly strengthened its structure for accompanying to businesses, whether through its local network of branches (doubling the time advisors spend in their jobs to 4 years, putting in place commercial assistants) or by providing access to business experts. An in-depth overhaul of internal processes has significantly cut down the time clients have to wait for answers.
Laurent Goutard, Head of Societe Generale retail network in France, commented on the new measures taken by the Bank to support businesses and participate in the collective effort to spur growth: "In an environment characterised by a sluggish economy, Societe Generale is fully committed to supporting SMEs and microbusinesses
in their ambitions to win new markets in France and abroad, in particular with the support of a whole range of innovative and attractive financing." This commitment to support businesses has been at the heart of the Group's mission for the past 150 years and is one of the cornerstones of the strategic plan unveiled in May 2014.