Large Research Infrastructures

The Risk Sharing Finance Facility can provide for higher risk financing made available to private and public promoters of large research infrastructures:

Profile: companies and research organisations implementing and operating large research infrastructures, including projects identified in the ESFRI Roadmap.

Size: no restrictions regarding staff number or annual budget apply.

Ownership: public law bodies, private law bodies or mixed entities with (partial) public participation.

Legal form: any legal form established under relevant national law, including associations or foundations, provided the promoter has the legal capacity to assume financial obligations.

Origin: no restrictions, provided that ownership or operation of the research infrastructure involves legal entities established in at least three Member States or Associated Countries Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway (subject to amendment procedure of EEA agreement), Switzerland, Israel (subject to satisfactory conclusion of bilateral S/T agreements) or Turkey, Croatia, and Serbia (subject to satisfactory completion of the decision-making procedure associating these countries via a Memorandum of Understanding), or whose services are used or requested for use by research communities from at least three Member States or Associated Countries.

Financial profile: the promoter needs to demonstrate that, on the basis of public budgetary contributions to its operating and investment expenses, or through cash flow generated from its regular commercial activities, it has the sustainable capacity to service its financial obligations.

Financing products available

For Large Research Infrastructure projects the EIB offers the following individual direct financing solution:

• ESFRI RSFF Capital Facility (ERCF)

Other RSFF beneficiaries:

• Private and public mid-sized or large companies
• Small-and medium sized companies
• Research institutes
• Universities
• Specific Purpose Companies