This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.
- EIB and EIF make available €2.6 billion in loans, equity, and guarantees for Belgian projects in 2025, including a record signature for social housing.
- Continued EIB support for social infrastructure such as hospitals and water distribution, as well as venture debt for medical research and innovation.
- EIF supported microfinance and social entrepreneurship with guarantees and pushed the digital transformation with equity investments in VC funds.
The European Investment Bank Group, consisting of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and its subsidiary, the European Investment Fund (EIF), again recorded a high level of activity in Belgium in 2025. The EIB Group put its financial power behind key issues, such as social and affordable housing, energy efficiency, and energy and water infrastructure in the framework of the green transition. At the same time, the EIF supported entrepreneurship and access to finance by supporting local intermediaries and investment funds that support innovative Belgian businesses.
Total financing in Belgium amounted to €2.6 billion, of which €157 million was provided by the EIF. More than two thirds of the Group’s investment volume in Belgium was climate relevant (€1.76 bn). Worldwide, the Group signed nearly €100 billion in new financing, supporting hundreds of projects in line with EU policy priorities, of which some €57 billion for green projects.
“The EIB Group exists to financially support projects that benefit citizens and businesses, something we very clearly showed in Belgium last year.” stated EIB Group vice-president Robert de Groot. “Looking ahead, the energy and water sectors will remain important in the context of the energy transition, and public support for sustainability, healthcare and entrepreneurship will likely be needed. We will also continue to support highly innovative Belgian companies with technologies and ideas that bring great added value to European strategic autonomy with our venture debt instruments, which have proven very successful.”
The EIB Group’s overall commitment to Europe’s energy security (€33 billion in 2025) was reflected in Belgium as well. In Wallonia, for example, with a €280 million loan for ORES to future-proof their distribution network, but also through a €100 million collaboration with Wallonie Entreprendre to aid small businesses with their sustainability investments. Finally SWCS signed a first €250 million tranche of a larger facility to support energy efficient renovation of private homes.
Innovation was also high on the agenda with venture debt financing for two promising Belgian scale-ups: €37.5 million for space innovator Aerospacelabs and €20 million to SamanTree, whose microscopic scanning technology can improve cancer surgeries.
In Flanders, the EIB signed the first tranche worth €700 million of what will be its largest financing ever in Belgium: a € 1.7 billion agreement with the Flemish government to support the new building of 56.000 new social housing units by 2042, and the energy efficient renovation of thousands more. The Bank also renewed its longstanding collaboration with Aquafin, providing €265 million for its wastewater treatment infrastructure.
EIB Group financing in Brussels Capital Region focused on improving access to finance and increasing the competitiveness of the area’s many small and medium sized businesses, through a €50 million deal with finance&invest.brussels in support of small entrepreneurs.
The EIF also continued its support for small and medium-sized enterprises in Belgium through guarantees and equity investment in funds. With backing from the European Commission’s InvestEU programme, the EIB Group’s specialised financing branch backed specialised funds such as Avante, a pan-European fund dedicated to scale-ups in the bio-tech sector, and the Heran Healthtech Fund II.
With a broad pipeline of mobility, healthcare, and innovation projects, the EIB Group will continue to finance where it can add value, supporting projects that benefit citizens and businesses.
Background information
The European Investment Bank Group (EIB) consists of the EIB and the EIF and is financial arm of the EU. Its shares are held by the 27 EU Member States, with 5.2% owned by Belgium. The EIB makes long-term financing available for investments that contribute towards the EU’s policy objectives, the EIF supports European SMEs through guarantees, equity investments and microfinance.
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