The total allocation of the financial instrument will be CZK 5.13 billion. It is implemented under the Operational Programme Technologies and Applications for Competitiveness and financed by the European Regional Development Fund.
“We are fulfilling our next promise. On Monday, the National Development Bank will start accepting applications for preferential investment loans, and the key Expansion instrument will thus help with the development of investment projects,” said 1st Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček.
“The Expansion programme allows SMEs to finance 50% of their investment with an interest-free loan from NRB. In combination with investment lending from commercial banks at commercial interest, the result is significantly lower interest costs. We expect that about a thousand projects will be financed from this programme,” adds Tomáš Nidetzký, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Development Bank.
Basic parameters of OPTAK Loan Expansion:
- Support for investment projects in the Czech Republic outside Prague,
- Loans from 1 to 100 mil. with a maturity of up to 15 years, deferral of instalments of up to 3 years,
- Interest-free and free of charge,
- Acquisition of machines, technologies, software, licenses, buildings and modernization of operations,
- Up to 50% of the investment expenditure of the project,
- Co-financing by loans from partner banks and leasing companies in the amount of at least 20% of the investment expenditure of the project is required,
- It is designed for entrepreneurs in a wide range of fields,
- More information and detailed conditions of the program can be found on the NRB – https://www.nrb.cz/produkt/uver-expanze website.
In the previous Expansion by Loans programme implemented in 2017-2023, NRB supported almost 2200 projects with an interest-free loan and provided loans in the total amount of CZK 12 billion. At that time, these were interest-free loans for business development up to CZK 45 million with a subsidy component, which could be drawn up to 45% of the acquisition value of the investment. Co-financing from commercial loan partners was also a condition.
