Slovenian Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises will again this year be able to obtain bank loans more easily, more quickly and more cheaply to implement more technologically complex and/or less complex projects, with a focus on supporting projects in the fields of digitisation, green and circular economy, with the help of guarantees from the Slovenian Enterprise Fund (SEF). In addition to the 60% or 80% guarantee from SPS, companies will also this year benefit from reduced interest rates and other favourable borrowing conditions from commercial banks cooperating with the Slovenian Enterprise Fund.
The Slovenian Enterprise Fund (SEF) has today published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia No 34/2024 the call for proposals P1 plus 2024 – Guarantees of the Fund for bank loans with interest rate subsidies.
This year, the SEF guarantees for bank loans are mainly aimed at strengthening the competitive capacity of companies (competitive positioning on the market, improved market position, expansion of activities, improvement of working capital financing, etc.), the development or use of green technologies and digital solutions that reduce energy consumption and contribute to climate change mitigation objectives, the transition to a circular economy (promoting
the increased use of secondary materials), and the integration or use of digital technologies in production processes.
The SEF guarantees continue to facilitate the financing of companies and this year also allow companies to obtain favourable financing terms from banks, as the banks are guaranteed repayment of the loan by the SPS.
Companies will be able to apply for guarantees of 60% or 80% of the loan value, for loans of up to €1,250,000, with a maturity of up to 10 years and a moratorium of up to two years, for loans pre-approved by banks.
At the same time as the very favourable collateralisation of the bank loan in the form of a guarantee from SEF, companies will also benefit from a reduced interest rate of 6-month EURIBOR + 0.35/0.60/0.85%, depending on the type of guarantee. This year, new credit-guarantee lines have been set up, namely:
1. General guarantees, where companies can apply for full credit for investment projects.
2. Guarantees for green/digital/circular economy projects, where companies can apply for a loan for investment or in a combination of investment and working capital; this line is only open to companies if the project meets at least one of the criteria for sustainable financing (criteria set out in the call for proposals).
3. Micro-financing for projects that are entirely working capital financing.
The SPS guarantee continues to:
• increase the availability of credit for companies that do not have sufficient collateral to secure the credit themselves or wish to free it up for a new investment cycle,
• provide guarantees for investment bank loans up to a maximum of EUR 1 250 000 and micro-guarantees for working capital up to a maximum of EUR 200 000 (for medium-sized enterprises) or EUR 100 000 (for micro and small enterprises),
• provide a credit facility which may cover up to a maximum of 80 % of the eligible costs of the project,
• provide the possibility to benefit from a moratorium of up to 24 months,
• provide a longer loan term, up to 10 years.
• there is no charge for the guarantee.
The call is open to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and individual entrepreneurs operating in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia and planning to make investments that ensure the growth of their business.
Companies can submit their applications to the Slovenian Enterprise Fund every 14 days, on 15 May, 25 May, 15 June, 5 July, 1 September, 15 September, 1 October and 15 October 2024.
More information on the call and the procedure for electronic application and submission via ePortal is available on the Slovenian Enterprise Fund website: https://www.podjetniskisklad.si/p1-plus-2024-garancije-sklada-za-bancne-kredite-s-subvencijo-obrestne-mere/ .
For more information on the programmes available at national and EU level for funding, grants and subsidies to businesses, please contact us at: [email protected] .
