BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb.12. The European
Investment Bank (EIB) has pledged 100 million euros to a facility
managed by Eiffel Investment Group to support energy savings by
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the European
Union, Trend
reports via the EIB.


The commitment will go to the Eiffel Energy Efficiency
Co-Investment Facility, known as the E4 Facility, which aims to
strengthen the competitiveness of SMEs by cutting electricity and
fuel costs and accelerating the shift to greener energy
sources.


Acting as an anchor investor, the EIB will finance equity and
quasi-equity instruments alongside investment vehicles managed by
Eiffel Investment Group to speed up the deployment of advanced
energy-efficient technologies. The facility aims to mobilise a
total of 1.2 billion euros in investment across the EU by 2030 and
follows an Article 9 strategy under the EU’s Sustainable Finance
Disclosure Regulation.


The E4 Facility targets companies developing and implementing
energy efficiency projects, primarily in the low-carbon economy.
SMEs account for 99% of businesses in the EU and around two-thirds
of private sector jobs.


A key focus of the partnership is financing so-called “energy
efficiency as a service” models, under which firms shift from
purchasing equipment outright to buying targeted energy-saving
services. The approach is designed to help SMEs and other eligible
beneficiaries access green technologies while reducing upfront
costs.


The facility was inaugurated at a signing ceremony in Luxembourg
attended by partner banks and other stakeholders. The event
highlighted green intermediated financing and advisory products
offered by the EIB Group, which includes the European Investment
Fund (EIF).







The E4 Facility builds on cooperation between the EIB and Eiffel
Investment Group dating back to 2017 to accelerate Europe’s green
energy transition.


It is also part of the broader EIB Group Energy Efficiency for
SMEs initiative, launched last year with support from the European
Commission. The initiative aims to provide 17.5 billion euros in
financing by 2027 to help up to 350,000 SMEs reduce energy costs
and carbon emissions.


In 2025 alone, the initiative delivered 6 billion euros in
financing, double the amount provided in 2024, enabling up to
150,000 SMEs to invest in energy efficiency and decarbonisation
projects in its first year.


The Solar Impulse Foundation, a non-profit organisation
promoting “servitisation” models such as energy efficiency as a
service, is also supporting the initiative. The concept was first
highlighted at COP29 in 2024.


The EIB Group, owned by the EU’s 27 member states, is one of the
world’s largest multilateral development banks. In 2025, it signed
100 billion euros in new financing and advisory services for more
than 870 projects aligned with EU priorities, including climate
action, digitalisation, security and defence, territorial cohesion,
agriculture, social infrastructure and global partnerships.