Unicoop Etruria secures €87 million financing backed by SACE Guarantee

Over the past few weeks, the aggregation process between two of the most prominent consumer cooperative groups in Central Italy — Unicoop Tirreno and Coop Centro Italia —has been finalized, resulting in the creation of Unicoop Etruria, alongside the implementation of a new Industrial Plan aimed at strategically developing the sales network, strengthening the commercial proposition, and launching a significant capex plan dedicated to improving profitability.

In this context, Gatti Pavesi Bianchi Ludovici assisted a pool of 14 lenders led by Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena in the structuring, negotiation, and completion of a financing transaction totaling €87 million in favor of Unicoop Etruria, which was assisted by BLF Studio Legale. SACE supported the financing transaction through the “Rilievo Strategico” Guarantee.

KPMG acted as the sole Financial Advisor to Unicoop Etruria in structuring the entire financial maneuver, which involved over 20 financing institutions in total.

Gatti Pavesi Bianchi Ludovici assisted the pool of lenders composed of Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena S.p.A. (also acting as agent bank and SACE agent), Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A., Banco BPM S.p.A., BPER Banca S.p.A., UniCredit S.p.A., Banco di Desio e della Brianza S.p.A. (also acting as Global Coordinator), Banca Progetto S.p.A. in A.S., Deutsche Bank S.p.A., Banca Ifis S.p.A., Blu Banca S.p.A., Mediocredito Centrale – Banca del Mezzogiorno S.p.A., Banca del Fucino S.p.A., and Castagneto Banca 1910 – Credito Cooperativo – Società Cooperativa, with a team led by Junior Partner Daniele Pompei and supported by Associate Maurizio Sirignano, handling the structuring, drafting, negotiation, and completion of the financing documentation and all legal aspects related to the issuance of the SACE guarantee.

BLF Studio Legale assisted Unicoop Etruria with a team composed of Partner Andrea Iovino, Senior Partner Pier Luigi Morara, and Senior Associate Davide Placido Geraci.

KPMG Advisory S.p.A. assisted Unicoop Etruria with a team led by Partner Lorenzo Nosellotti, Senior Manager Fabio Salvatici, and Assistant Manager Tommaso Bianchi.