Loans with a guarantee from Slovak Investment Holding (SIH) to support energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources

The loan is secured by a guarantee from National Development Fund III, s.r.o., part of the Slovak Investment Holding group, and is provided from EU fund resources and the Slovakia Program.

The guarantee instrument to support energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources offers the end user the opportunity to receive a non-repayable grant, which will be used to pay part of the principal of the provided loan.

Purpose of the loan

Building renovation

Renovation of buildings and facilities aimed at reducing energy consumption and operating costs.
Insulation of buildings, renovation of facades and roofs, and other measures to improve energy efficiency.
Replacement or modernization of heating, air conditioning, lighting, and other technologies for more efficient operation.
Installation of photovoltaics, heat pumps, and other solutions utilizing renewable energy sources.

Zariadenia vyrábajúce energiu a teplo z obnoviteľných zdrojov

Energy efficiency in industry

Renovation and modernization of production and energy technologies aimed at increasing energy efficiency and reducing emissions.
Investments in technologies and production processes that reduce energy consumption and improve manufacturing efficiency.
Implementation of measurement, automation, and energy management systems for more efficient energy consumption control.
Modernization of compressed air production and distribution systems, including technologies for waste heat recovery.

Renewable energy sources

Photovoltaics and solar systems using solar energy to produce electricity or heat.
Heat pumps.
Wind energy – Installation of devices utilizing wind energy to generate electricity for own consumption or business operations.
Biomass and biogas technologies.

Calculation of grant amount

The amount of the granted subsidy depends on:

Business categories:
- Sole proprietor, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME), Large enterprise
- Public entities and the nonprofit sector
Location of the planned investment (according to the selected region or district)
Purpose of the investment

Grant

Calculated based on the amount of the drawn installment loan.
Provided as an extraordinary principal repayment after meeting the conditions.
The extraordinary repayment is made in the calendar quarter following the quarter in which the client applies for the grant.

Conditions for granting the subsidy

The loan has been drawn in full, or the client does not request further loan disbursement.
The grant applies exclusively to an investment installment loan.
The bank has received the agreed documents confirming that the investment is completed and implemented in the company by June 30, 2029, at the latest.
Submission of an energy certificate or energy audit, depending on the purpose of financing.

Basic parameters

Who the program is intended for

The loan can be provided to small and medium-sized enterprises, large enterprises, as well as energy service providers.

The final grant recipient must be the owner or manager of the property, who can be:

Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME),
large enterprise,
public administration entity*,
non-governmental nonprofit organization,
church or religious community.

*A public administration entity refers to a state administration body and a local government body, including enterprises owned by them.

	Area of support	Territory	Eligible recipients	Maximum loan amount	Grant amount	Maximum loan maturity	Guarantee fee
A	Energy efficiency in enterprises	The entire Slovak Republic except the Bratislava Region	SMEs, large enterprises, energy service providers (ESCO)	5 000 000 €	20 %	10 years	Applies
B	Energy efficiency in enterprises	Bratislava region	SMEs, large enterprises, energy service providers (ESCO)	5 000 000 €	15 %	10 years	Applies
C	Energy efficiency in public buildings	The entire Slovak Republic except the Bratislava Region	Public administration entities, non-governmental nonprofit organizations, churches, religious communities, ESCOs	15 000 000 €	49 %	15 years	It applies when implementing the project through ESCO or if the building meets the condition of local economic character.
D	Energy efficiency in public buildings	Bratislava region	Public administration entities, non-governmental nonprofit organizations, churches, religious communities, ESCOs	15 000 000 €	49 %	15 years	It applies when implementing the project through ESCO or if the building meets the condition of local economic character.
E	Renewable energy sources in enterprises and other entities producing energy from RES (renewable energy sources)	The entire Slovak Republic except the Bratislava Region	Eligible recipients according to components A, B, or C, D	5 000 000 €	20 %	10 years	It applies except for direct implementation by a public administration entity.
F	Renewable energy sources in enterprises and other entities producing energy from RES (renewable energy sources)	Bratislava region	Eligible recipients according to components A, B, or C, D	5 000 000 €	15 %	10 years	It applies except for direct implementation by a public administration entity.
G	Energy efficiency (1) and the use of renewable energy sources (2) in public buildings in transforming regions	Selected districts of transforming regions	Public administration entities, non-governmental nonprofit organizations, churches, religious communities, ESCOs	15 000 000 €	20% for purpose (1), 49% for purpose (2)	15 years	It applies only in the case of project implementation through an ESCO provider.

*For Components E and F, eligibility of a public administration entity also requires that it is a participant in economic competition, meaning it carries out economic (though not necessarily entrepreneurial) activity (placing goods and/or services on the market) in connection with the project implementation, specifically related to an investment involving a public building.

Basic conditions for the recipient

The recipient was established under the legal system of the Slovak Republic and operates within its territory.
The recipient is registered in the Public Sector Partners Register in accordance with the provisions of the RPVS Act, if the Act applies to the recipient. In case of implementation through an ESCO provider, this criterion also applies to the end user.
The recipient is not listed in the Early Warning and Exclusion System (EDES) database as an excluded entity.
The recipient is not an enterprise in difficulty as defined in Article 2, point 18 of the GBER.

Special conditions for the recipient – public administration entity:

Economic activity in buildings owned or co-owned by the public administration entity does not exceed:

20% of the total floor area of the building
and/or 20% of the total usage time of the building.

If the economic activity exceeds the 20% threshold, a so-called local character test of economic activity must be conducted. This test once and for all demonstrates the share and local character of the economic activity during the implemented investment.

Financing guide with guarantee and grant from SIH

Consultation

The first step to obtaining a business loan is a consultation on the purpose of financing, during which the compliance of the investment with the conditions of the guarantee and grant program is assessed.

The consultation can be conducted:

By personal visit to a Tatra Bank branch or corporate center
Via the DIALOG Live service at *1100

Submitting the application

After the consultation, the loan application is submitted. The bank assesses the company’s financial situation and evaluates whether the requested financing purpose meets the criteria of the guarantee and grant program.

The following must be submitted for evaluation:

Standard documents required for business loan approval
Additional information required to assess the criteria set by the guarantee and grant program.

Upon submitting the application, indicative information about the possible loan amount and grant amount is provided.

Approval process

Loan application approval is individual and depends on multiple factors.

The assessment primarily considers:

Financial situation and stability of the company
Conditions of the guarantee and grant program
Requested loan amount
Financing structure
Energy audit or energy certificate demonstrating the current status

Grant amount

Based on the investment location, financing purpose, and company size category, the final grant amount is determined, which the client is informed of during or after loan approval.

Loan disbursement

Loan funds are transferred to the account of the supplier of the specific service, technology, or seller.

To draw the loan, it is necessary to submit documents proving the purpose of financing, especially:

Purchase contract
Invoice
Or other relevant documents

Grant payment

After completing the investment, it is necessary to inform the bank and submit a grant disbursement request. To draw the grant, a renewed energy certificate or audit demonstrating the changed status and achieved energy savings must be submitted.

Upon meeting the grant disbursement conditions, the grant is credited to the client’s account as an extraordinary loan repayment, thereby reducing the outstanding loan balance.

The loan is secured by a guarantee from National Development Fund III, s.r.o., part of the Slovak Investment Holding group.

FAQ

In which sectors is the loan applicant not allowed to operate?

Applicants must not operate in so-called excluded sectors, which include agriculture, the tobacco industry, betting offices, casinos, and the arms industry.

Until when is it possible to apply for a loan and grant?

The loan availability period is until June 30, 2029. However, to receive the grant, the financed investment must be properly implemented and completed no later than June 30, 2029.

When will the grant be provided to me?

The grant is paid only after the successful completion of the project. Upon project completion, the client is required to inform the bank, which then initiates the grant application process. The approved grant is used for an extraordinary repayment of part of the loan.

The grant is credited to the client’s account in the calendar quarter following the quarter in which the grant application was submitted. For example, if the application was submitted in Q1, the grant will be credited no later than Q2.

What are ineligible expenses?

Illegal economic activities
Investments in primary agricultural production, including investments within horizontal cooperation
Purchase of undeveloped and developed land
Purchase of buildings
Pure financial activities
Real estate construction
Financing refundable VAT
Investments related to the production, processing, transport, distribution, storage, or combustion of fossil fuels
Expenses for which the recipient has received a contribution from any program, operational program, fund, or source representing public funds, or under any state aid or de minimis aid scheme that excludes co-financing from public sources
Ineligible expenses for the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund
Ineligible expenses for de minimis aid, if applicable

Ineligible expenses for aid under GBER, if applicable

What are the eligible expenses of the project?

Investments in tangible and/or intangible assets, including:

Investments necessary to improve energy efficiency in enterprises and public buildings within the relevant component, specifically related to construction works, installation works, supplies, and services directly connected to eligible measures under the respective component.
Investments needed to improve indoor environmental quality in buildings within the relevant component.
Investments in the use of renewable energy sources within the relevant component.

Eligible expenses also include:

Costs for preparing studies;
Costs for preparing project documentation;
Costs for conducting energy audits;
Costs for preparing energy certificates.