The new financing tool "Green Co-financed Loans" was activated by the Hellenic Development Bank. The program was created to provide favorable conditions for investment loans to SMEs, with a two-year partial interest rate subsidy and 40% of the capital interest-free, for the implementation of Green Transition investment projects. Investment projects in the fields of Green Mobility, Energy Saving/Energy Upgrade and Energy Production through Renewable Sources are being strengthened.

Objective of the program

The facilitation of small and medium-sized enterprises that develop business activity in the Greek territory to implement Green Transition investment projects with the aim of reducing gas emissions, protecting the environment and reducing the cost of energy consumption.

It concerns small and medium-sized enterprises that have an establishment and operate legally in Greece and have been established up to the time of submitting the financing application to the Credit Institution.

Co-financing scheme

The Fund pays for each loan 40% of the capital without interest, while the remaining 60% is granted through the Credit Institution. Additionally, the Fund subsidizes part of the interest rate, which the Credit Institution applies to its funds (3%) for the first 2 years of the loan (from the 1st disbursement).

Budget

The initial available budget of the Fund amounts to €200m. Including the participation of the Banking Institutions by 60% in each grant, additional funds of €300m will be mobilized. forming a total loan portfolio of up to €500m.

The Fund's budget is distributed per sub-programme as follows:

Subprogramme 1–Green Mobility Loans: Budget amount €20 million.

Subprogramme 2–Energy Upgrade Loans: Budget amount €100 million.

Subprogramme 3–Loans for Renewable Energy Sources: Budget amount €80 million.

The program provides for interest subsidy for 2 years with additional funds amounting to €18 million.

Advantages

A. The financed company is fully exempt from interest for the part of the loan that is co-financed by the fund (ie 40% of each loan), given that this amount is provided by the Fund interest-free.

B. The Fund subsidizes part of the interest rate applied by the Credit Institution to its funds (ie 60% of each loan). The subsidy concerns the first 2 years of the loan (from the 1st disbursement) and will reduce the Credit Institution's interest rate by 3% (or otherwise by 300bps), which significantly reduces the overall cost of borrowing for the business.

C. Each Credit Institution that participates in the Fund is required to reduce the interest rate of each loan by at least 25 basis points (bps) per year from the interest rates it would apply to corresponding financing without the Fund's subsidy.

D. The maximum amount of real collateral that the Credit Institution may request in each financing may not exceed 100% of the loan capital.

Maximum loan amount

The amount of the loan can vary from €80,000 to €8,000,000. It is clarified that the interested company has the possibility to apply for financing in all the sub-programs (and in more than one cooperating Bank) by submitting the corresponding business plans of the investments and keeping the cumulative maximum amount of €8 million.

Collaterals

The Credit Institution receives debt and/or real collateral, in accordance with its credit policy. The maximum amount of collateral that can be required cannot exceed 100% of the loan capital.

Loan duration

The duration of the loan can be from two (2) to ten (10) years with the possibility of obtaining a capital grace period of up to 24 months.

Loan Disbursement

The loan can be disbursed either in one go or in installments. The first disbursement of the loan must have been made by 30/06/2025, while the partial disbursements must have been completed within 36 months from the 1st disbursement and in any case by 30/6/2026, whichever date is earlier.