Investment Plan’s Advisory Hub supports infrastructure projects for climate protection, urban and rural development in German municipalities

Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein (IB.SH) joins the European Investment Advisory Hub (EIAH) as a network partner from Schleswig-Holstein. An agreement was signed today between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and IB.SH. IB.SH will provide municipalities with free-of-charge advisory services in support of infrastructure projects and will, for this purpose, receive €500 000 in funding from the EIAH’s Call for Proposals to National Promotional Banks and Institutions.

The advisory services, to be provided by IB.SH, will help municipalities prepare and implement sustainable and financially viable projects as well as assist them in accessing funding and financing. The support will also include knowledge exchange and capacity-building for municipal authorities.

European Commissioner for the Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, said: “Thanks to the support of the Investment Plan for Europe’s Advisory Hub, Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein in Germany will be able to provide free-of-charge advisory services, supporting municipalities to develop and implement sustainable infrastructure projects locally. This is an excellent example of how tailored advisory support can make a real difference on the ground to the benefit of citizens, including in the areas of climate protection as well as urban and rural development.”

“With these advisory services, we want to support municipalities in the areas of public infrastructure, energy and climate protection, as well as integrated urban and rural development. Thanks to the experts of the Infrastructure Competence Centre, Neighbourhood Development Unit and Energy Agency of IB.SH, we will be able to provide municipalities with competent support for their projects,” said Erk Westermann-Lammers, IB.SH chief executive officer.

“The EIB, the EU bank, is proud to work closely with our partner network of national promotional banks across the European Union, including IB.SH. Through this funding agreement, supported by the European Investment Advisory Hub, we will help infrastructure investment get off the ground at local level and speed up Europe’s recovery,” said EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle, who is responsible for lending in Germany.

Background information

About the European Investment Advisory Hub

The European Investment Advisory Hub (EIAH) is a partnership between the European Investment Bank and the European Commission under the Investment Plan for Europe. The EIAH acts as a single access point to various types of advisory and technical assistance services. It supports the identification, preparation and development of investment projects across the European Union. Building local partnerships across Europe is a priority of the EIAH. Through a dedicated call for proposals, funding and technical support were made available to national promotional banks and institutions to develop their capacity to deliver advisory services and boost investments on the ground.

About the IB.SH

IB.SH is the promotional bank of the Land (state) Schleswig-Holstein. We support the ideas and projects of individuals, companies and municipalities with our financial instruments and know-how.