A New Boost for Business: Slovak Investment Holding Launches Attractive Financing for Companies and Innovation

03.07.2025

Businesses in Slovakia Can Access Preferential Loans with Grants of up to 30%

Bratislava, July 3, 2025 – Slovak Investment Holding (SIH), through its National Development Fund III., s. r. o. (NDF III.), in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic and the Research and Innovation Authority, is launching a new form of investment support for entrepreneurs. Within the new 2021–2027 EU Funds programming period and the Slovak Recovery and Resilience Plan, a guarantee instrument combined with grant support has been introduced. It is designed primarily for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), but also for large companies and research and innovation sector entities.

Supporting Business in Key Areas
The guarantee instrument is structured as a multi-component financial tool addressing the needs of the Slovak economy in the following areas:
• Digitalization and automation
• Transition to a circular economy
• Enhancing the competitiveness of companies and regions
• Mitigating the impacts of transitioning to climate neutrality in selected transforming regions
• Research and development focused on digitalization and automation

First Financial Instrument of the New Programming Period
This is the very first financial instrument developed by SIH in the new programming period. It is funded from the Slovakia Programme and the Recovery and Resilience Plan. The main objective is to ensure access to loans that are more accessible and favorable thanks to portfolio guarantees.

More Favorable Loans through Guarantees and Grants
The core of the instrument is a portfolio guarantee for commercial banks, covering:
• 80% of the risk on individual loans
• 25% of the risk at the portfolio level

For beneficiaries, this means access to loans with better interest rates and lower collateral requirements. Additionally, recipients can obtain a grant of up to 30% of the loan amount, depending on the type of recipient, project location, and project type.
• Maximum loan amount: EUR 2.8 million
• Maximum maturity: 10 years
• Availability of the instrument: until September 30, 2029, for components funded by the Slovakia Programme and until March 31, 2026, for the Recovery and Resilience Plan component

Financing of Up to EUR 500 Million
It is expected that the financial instrument will support projects with a total value of up to EUR 500 million. This represents a key pillar of support for Slovak businesses amid the digital and green transformation of the economy.

Collaboration with a Strong Banking Sector
Seven reputable banking institutions have joined the implementation of the financial instrument, ensuring its availability across Slovakia:

Note: Loan Approval is at the Discretion of the Bank
Obtaining a preferential loan is not automatic. Loan approval is at the discretion of the respective bank, based primarily on the applicant's financial standing and the bank’s internal assessment criteria.

All relevant information regarding how to apply, eligibility conditions, geographic availability, and eligible expenditures will be provided to applicants by the partner banks.