During the 12th European Space Conference in Brussels, the EIB and ArianeGroup signed an agreement to confirm a €100 million contingent loan for the new Ariane 6 launcher programme. This deal is backed by the Investment Plan for Europe. In addition, the Commission and the European Investment Fund (EIF) announced the first ever EU-backed InnovFin Space Equity Pilot and the first space-focused tech fund in Europe supported under the pilot. The InnovFin Space Equity Pilot is a €100 million programme under InnovFin specifically dedicated to support the innovation and growth of European SMEs operating in the sector of space technologies.