Croatia, April 1 -- The European Investment Fund (EIF), part of the EIB Group and specialised in supporting small and medium?sized enterprises (SMEs), and Erste & Steiermarkische Bank d.d. (Erste Bank Croatia) have agreed to unlock up to €58 million in new financing for Croatian SMEs.Under the agreement signed today in Zagreb, the EIF will expand existing guarantees to Erste by €29 million.The EIF operation under the InvestEU Programme enables Erste Bank Croatia to introduce mini?bonds as an alternative financing tool for Croatian SMEs.Introduction of mini bonds on Croatian banking market, spearheaded by the EIF, allows companies to diversify their funding beyond traditional bank loans. Mini bonds also allow businesses, especial...