Enterprise incentives

1. Financial assistance

Financial assistance is available to companies as part of the various measures carried out by ministries, public funds, public agencies and other institutions in the form of repayable and non-repayable assistance (grants).

Repayable assistance includes loans, guarantees/sureties and funds for recapitalisation in the form of venture capital made available, in particular, for the expansion and internationalisation of businesses.

Grants include, in particular, subsidies for the start-up of new innovative enterprises and incentives for the self-employed.

Incentives for the self-employed and funds for the start-up of new innovative enterprises are largely made available in the form of subsidies, while incentives for start-up and internationalisation are largely in the form of a repayable assistance.

You can view the types of financial support and their providers in the table below.

Provider of support	Type of support
Slovenian Enterprise Fund	Start-up incentives (P2 and P2R) â financial and substantive support for young enterprises in the first development phase. Seed capital (SK75) or a convertible loan â intended for young enterprises in the second development phase (for entry into the market). Venture capital â covers entry into the ownership structure and governance of an enterprise, which enables global market penetration to commence. Microloans (P7, P7R, P7OR) â enables smaller investments and working capital to be financed. They enable bank loans for working capital or a larger investment to be obtained more quickly, easily and above all cheaply with the help of a guarantee to insure bank loans with interest rate subsidy (P1 plus). Special incentives in the form of non-repayable funds targeted at micro enterprises, small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or young sole traders or specific target groups in need of favourable financial incentives for the growth and development of an enterprise.
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food:Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Agricultural Markets and Rural Development	Support for investments for the establishment and development of non-agricultural activities in the form of loan guarantees. Support for investments in the processing/marketing and/or development of agricultural products to be paid in the form of grants and repayable funds. Calls for applications and support for rural development
Employment Service of Slovenia	Subsidies for self-employment/occasional provision of grants for self-employment
Slovenian Regional Development Fund	Financial incentives, mainly in the form of repayable funds, for initial investments in enterprise, agriculture and forestry, and regional development. Financial contributions to regional guarantee schemes. Pre-financing of projects with approved European funding.
SID Bank	Favourable loans for the financing of investment projects, internationalisation and business expansion, and projects in the field of tourism, forestry-timber chains and the circular economy. Forwarding of European cohesion policy funds in the form of microloans, loans for research, development and innovation, the energy renovation of public buildings and urban development projects. Insurance of export transactions and investments abroad against non-marketable risks is available for Slovenian exporters, investors and other international business entities. In addition to the financial resources, SID Bank also provides advice at the time a transaction is executed.
Eco Fund	Providing favourable financial resources for investments in environmentally-minded projects and energy efficiency.
Ministry of Economic Development and Technology	Financial incentives for R&D in the fields of enterprise, technology and RDI, internationalisation, digital transformation, wood, social enterprise and tourism.
SPIRIT Slovenia, the public agency for fostering entrepreneurship, internationalisation, foreign investment and technology	Financial incentives in the fields of enterprise, innovation, technological development, internationalisation, FDI and tourism.
Ministry of Education, Science and Sport:Public Scholarship, Development, Disability and Maintenance Fund of the Republic of Slovenia	Calls for applications in the fields of education, scholarships, sport and science
Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities	Public calls for applications in the fields of employment, equal opportunities and human resources
Business Angels of Slovenia	Bringing together start-ups and investors.
EU funds	Calls for applications from cohesion policy funds
Centre for International Cooperation and Development	Bilateral development aid: enabling development investment projects to be realised by public entities in developing countries with the help of donations from Slovenia

2. Non-financial (indirect) forms of aid

Non-financial or indirect state aid is very diverse in Slovenia.

Provider of support	Type of support
Slovenian Business Points (SPOT, one-stop shop)	Comprehensive services for potential entrepreneurs and enterprises Registration services, changes of status and removal of enterprises from the register Information and advice Information and promotion workshops and training events Exchange of good practices and opening-up of new business opportunities
Slovenian Enterprise Fund	Small-scale incentives through vouchers, substantive support for innovative young enterprises, and training abroad for high-tech enterprises.
Business incubators	Furnished business premises, and business and other support services
University incubators	Furnished business premises, business consultancy and mentoring, free educational workshops University of Maribor Enterprise Incubator Ljubljana University Incubator Primorska University Development Centre and Incubator
Technology parks	Furnished business premises, mentoring, advice, co-working.
Start:up Slovenija initiative	Information, networking and organisation of competitions.
European Enterprise Network (EEN)	Search for business partners, information, advice.

3. Other forms of support

Provider of support	Type of support
Co-working spaces	Enterprise start-up assistance, networking, search for business partners, information, advice, training.
Enterprise accelerators	Helping innovative start-ups to grow globally.
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia	Advice, training and internationalisation support. Social partnership, lobbying centre for the creation of a more business-friendly economic system and economic policy, networking hub, exchange of views and good practices. Provides members with quick, high-quality business information.
Chamber of Crafts and Small Business of Slovenia	Advice, training, issuing craft licences and EU certificates, education, public authorisations (master craftsman’s examinations, issuing of road haulier licences, craft licences, management of various registers, etc.), representing interests of members, providing expert assistance to members (economic, legal, tax, business consultancy), providing members with information, and performing other tasks to protect the interests of the membership.
Slovenian Chamber of Commerce	Advice, education and information for members in the field of commercial business.
Regional development institutions at regional level, regional and area development agencies	Slovenia has 12 NUTS Level 3 regions, although Posavska includes the municipalities of Radeče and Bistrica ob Sotli from a neighbouring NUTS 3 territorial unit (Savinjska). In addition to the general development tasks in the region and in municipalities, regional and area development agencies also provide various forms of support to enterprises.
Assistance and support from municipalities	Calls for applications by municipalities. Calls are usually published on the municipality’s website.
Izvozno Okno (Export Window) portal	Support to enterprises who wish to internationalise their business, and assistance to Slovenian exporters at all stages of export marketing.
Invest Slovenia portal	Information on the business environment in Slovenia, information on activities, industrial zones and local suppliers, links with business and local authorities, and information on investment opportunities.
Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs	Pan-European exchange programme for entrepreneurs, opportunities for ambitious or new entrepreneurs to go to other European countries in order to develop their entrepreneurial skills in managing a smaller enterprise alongside an experienced entrepreneur.
EEN	International business cooperation Innovation, knowledge and technology transfer, participation in EU programmes
European Small Business Portal	Aid and support to SMEs in the EU
EUREKA	An international technology initiative launched with the aim of making the EU economy more competitive, particularly in relation to the economies of the US, Japan and South-East Asia, by stepping up cooperation between enterprises and research institutions.
EUROSTARS	The Eurostars programme offers ambitious and innovative SMEs access to national and European research funds through a single entry point at national level.

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