Through the European Investment Advisory Hub, EIB experts will work with the Italian Ministry of Justice to assess the possibility to launch a social impact bond. To improve educational and professional opportunities in Southern Italy, the “StudioSì” fund, founded by the Italian Ministry for University and Research (MUR) and managed by the EIB, has awarded its first €2 million in zero-interest loans. The fund, benefitting from a €100 million allocation from the European Social Fund (ESF), supports students from Italy's eight southern regions, particularly those from lower income families, who study in Italy or abroad, with zero-interest loans to finance their tuition fees and living costs. Meanwhile, the EIB Group will help Austrian bank Hypo Vorarlberg to increase its capacity to support fresh lending to energy efficiency projects. The Group agreed on 1 December to provide a mezzanine guarantee on a €330 million portfolio of mainly Austrian loans to SMEs and mid-caps, originated by Hypo Vorarlberg Bank AG. With this financial support, Hypo Vorarlberg will expand its lending in support of new highly energy-efficient residential buildings.