A cooperative built by businesses, for businesses
UNI.CO. exists to ensure that viable Italian enterprises can access the financing they need — through credit guarantees, practical support, and the collective strength of a cooperative model.
Make access to credit a function of merit, not of collateral
Italy's economy runs on small and medium enterprises — the shops, workshops, service firms, and family businesses that employ millions and define every town and city. Yet many are creditworthy in every sense except the one banks measure: they lack the collateral to secure a loan on reasonable terms.
As a cooperative, we close that gap differently. Our members pool resources to guarantee each other's financing — sharing risk across the community, keeping costs lower than commercial alternatives, and ensuring that decisions are made by people who understand the real economy, not by algorithms. The guarantee doesn't replace a business's own creditworthiness; it unlocks it.
Headquartered in Ancona, we serve Italian enterprises across every sector of the real economy — commerce, artisan trades, services, and beyond — with guarantee instruments designed for the scale and reality of small business.
Our values
Five commitments that shape how we work with every enterprise, on every guarantee.
Cooperative principles
We answer to our members — the businesses we serve — not to external shareholders. When members succeed, the cooperative succeeds. That alignment shapes every decision we make.
Transparency
Eligibility, coverage, and timelines are stated clearly. No hidden scoring, no conditions that appear mid-process. An SME owner should understand our process as easily as we do.
Real-economy expertise
We understand the sectors we serve — the cash-flow cycles of commerce, the capital needs of artisans, the growth dynamics of service firms. That knowledge makes our assessments fairer and our instruments more useful.
Mutual strength
Our guarantee funds are built on mutual participation. Members contribute to a shared pool that backs each other's financing — spreading risk across the community and keeping costs accessible.
How we got here
Foundation
UNI.CO. - Societa' Cooperativa was established in Ancona by a group of entrepreneurs who understood that viable businesses were being denied financing simply for lack of collateral. The cooperative model was a natural fit — businesses helping businesses.
Building the guarantee framework
We developed our core credit guarantee instruments — covering a share of bank loans to creditworthy SMEs — and built relationships with lenders across the region, creating a network through which guarantees could reach businesses efficiently.
Growing the cooperative
As membership grew, so did the mutual guarantee fund. More businesses meant more shared capacity to back financing — the cooperative principle in action: collective strength benefiting each individual member.
Expanding support services
Beyond guarantees, we added access-to-financing support — helping businesses prepare documentation, understand what banks look for, and present their case effectively. Preparation that often makes the difference between a yes and a no.
Today
We continue to serve Italian SMEs across every sector of the real economy — from the local shop to the growing service firm — with the same principle we started with: access to credit should depend on the merit of the business, not the size of its collateral. And it should be built on cooperation, not extraction.
Let's talk about your business
Whether you need a guarantee, access support, or guidance on financing, we'll help you find the right path.
Contact us