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Causal Effect of Credit Guarantees for Small‐ and Medium‐Sized Enterprises: Evidence from Italy

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  • Alessio D’Ignazio
  • Carlo Menon

Abstract

We evaluate the effectiveness of a partial credit guarantee program, implemented in a large Italian region, that aimed to improve the access to credit of small and medium enterprises. Using unique microdata from a broad set of firms, we show that the policy increased the long‐term loans for beneficiary firms, while the total volume of bank loans was unaffected. Furthermore, targeted firms benefited from a substantial decrease in interest rates. However, there is some evidence that firms are more likely to default as a consequence of the treatment. Conversely, the results do not point to any significant effect on investments.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessio D’Ignazio & Carlo Menon, 2020. "Causal Effect of Credit Guarantees for Small‐ and Medium‐Sized Enterprises: Evidence from Italy," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 122(1), pages 191-218, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:scandj:v:122:y:2020:i:1:p:191-218
    DOI: 10.1111/sjoe.12332
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    Cited by:

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    2. Maurizio Conti & Leandro Elia & Antonella Rita Ferrara & Massimiliano Ferraresi, 2020. "Government late payments and firms survival. Evidence from the EU," Working papers 87, Società Italiana di Economia Pubblica.
    3. Harasztosi, Péter & Maurin, Laurent & Pál, Rozália & Revoltella, Debora & van der Wielen, Wouter, 2022. "Firm-level policy support during the crisis: So far, so good?," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 30-48.
    4. Muraközy, Balázs & Telegdy, Álmos, 2023. "The effects of EU-funded enterprise grants on firms and workers," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 216-234.
    5. Bonfim, Diana & Custódio, Cláudia & Raposo, Clara, 2023. "Supporting small firms through recessions and recoveries," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(3), pages 658-688.
    6. Andini, Monica & Boldrini, Michela & Ciani, Emanuele & de Blasio, Guido & D'Ignazio, Alessio & Paladini, Andrea, 2022. "Machine learning in the service of policy targeting: The case of public credit guarantees," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 198(C), pages 434-475.
    7. Marco Desogus & Beatrice Venturi, 2023. "Stability and Bifurcations in Banks and Small Enterprises—A Three-Dimensional Continuous-Time Dynamical System," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-20, March.
    8. Phoebe Kotlikoff & Ahmed S. Rahman & Katherine A. Smith, 2022. "Minding the gap: academic outcomes from pre-college programs," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(1), pages 3-28, January.
    9. Félix Corredera-Catalán & Filippo Pietro & Antonio Trujillo-Ponce, 2021. "Post-COVID-19 SME financing constraints and the credit guarantee scheme solution in Spain," Journal of Banking Regulation, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(3), pages 250-260, September.
    10. Diana Bonfim & Cláudia Custódio, 2021. "The sensitivity of SME’s investment and employment to the cost of debt financing," Working Papers w202115, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.

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