UBI BANCA Social Bonds: a new instrument to support growth in the ...

UBI BANCA Social Bonds:
a new instrument to support growth in the third sector
The Group presents social bonds for the benefit of
excellence in the world of deserving social initiatives.
The first bond issued by Banco di Brescia may be subscribed from 2 nd April
to assist the Paediatric Oncological Haematology Department
of the Spedali Civili - Hospital of Brescia
29 th March 2012
UBI Banca presents Social Bonds, a financial instrument which offers subscribers the chance to
obtain a return on their investment and at the same time allows the Bank to donate part of the
amount received to support social welfare initiatives. More specifically, the Bank will support
projects organised by non-profit organisations or, for the first time in Italy, contribute the
amount received to a fund that will be used to finance third sector initiatives.
It is an important innovation in the sector nationally, which brings Italy into line with the most
advanced European countries with regard to finance for non-profit organisations. It is also further
evidence of the Group’s strategy, at a time of increased need for finance, to pay particular
attention to support projects with a high social impact organised by public and private
sector entities in the local communities in which the Group operates.
The UBI Group also intends, with this initiative, to support the growth of projects which create
value for society and encourage the development of the economy of the “common good”,
promoting its importance in local communities and civil society.
Victor Massiah, the Chief Executive Officer of UBI Banca remarked, “In this evolving context
the role of our Group is also to support and contribute to the growth of initiatives and projects of
this type. Social Bonds, together with the “UBI Community” platform, allow us to add further value
to our closeness to local communities and to confirm the UBI Group as a point of reference for the
non-profit sector, with particular regard to entrepreneurial realities which generate social value.”
Those non-profit organisations which may benefit from UBI Banca Social Bonds must
constitute significant realities in local communities. They must have strong capacities to mobilise
stakeholders in local communities, operate in one of the main sectors, such as infants,
education, the elderly, new types of poverty, health, or the environment, possess efficient
management, good creditworthiness and stable cash flows, and have a high social impact.
The Group’s proposal will come into concrete operation on 2 nd April with the launch of a
bond issued by the Banco di Brescia to assist the Paediatric Oncological Haematology
Department of the Spedali Civili - Hospital of Brescia.

The introduction of Social Bonds in Italy forms part of a programme to support the third
sector which UBI Banca launched in the last quarter of 2011. This saw the creation of a
platform of services and tools dedicated to non-profit organisations and religious institutions named
“UBI Community”, an innovative service model designed to identify a commercial approach to the
sector, which is structured, amongst other things, in terms of banking and credit support for the
management of daily activities and also for projects and investments.
Due to the diversification of social needs (services supplementary and complementary to those
delivered by public sector welfare), the shortage of public sector funds and, as a consequence of
the economic crisis, also of private sector funds, today the involvement of banks and, more
generally, of civil society is of fundamental importance. UBI Banca has always recognised the
economic and social importance of non-profit organisations in the Italian system because of
its capacity to generate social value for the community; with these Social Bonds UBI Banca
invites its customers to do likewise, by making a concrete contribution.
The bonds involved in this initiative, which will be issued by the Parent and by the Network Banks,
consist of five different classes: “zero coupon”, “fixed rate”, “fixed rate step up/step down”,
“floating rate” and “mixed rate”, the characteristics of which will be given in the terms and
conditions for each bond issue.
UBI Community
This is an innovative service model dedicated to the third sector, designed to identify a commercial approach
to these organisations, which is structured, amongst other things, in terms of banking and credit support for
the management of daily activities and also for projects and investments. With “UBI Community” the Banks in
the Group are adding to a range of services designed for simplified banking operations - that are secure and
economical -, diversified credit solutions to provide advances on contributions and income, together with a
range of flexible and customisable loans to launch or accelerate economically sustainable growth and social
innovation.
For further information:
UBI Banca
Simone Zavatarelli – Media Relations – Tel +39 030 2433591 – Mobile +39 335 8268310
D’Antona&Partners
Marco Fusco – Tel +39 02 8545701– Mobile +39 345 6538145 – m.fusco@dandp.it