Individual Guarantees for Rural Development

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The Individual Guarantees for Rural Development is a financial instrument directed towards micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and it is co-financed through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. With this financial instrument and through financial institutions HAMAG-BICRO will make available to MSMEs in agriculture, agricultural processing and forestry sector its guarantee covering part of the loan or lease principal under the terms of the Croatia’s Rural Development Programme 2014 - 2020 (hereinafter: PRR 2014-2020) and the Financing Agreement executed on 18 April 2018 between the Ministry of Agriculture, the Paying Agency for Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development (PAAFRD) and HAMAG-BICRO, for the defined measures/sub-measures /types of operation.

CONDITIONS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL GUARANTEES FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT

FEATURE / INSTRUMENT

Individual Guarantees for Rural Development

Eligible borrowers

Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises according to measures set in the RDP 2014-2020 eligible for financing under this financial instrument.

Maximum guarantee

EUR 1,300,000

Maximum rate of guarantee

Up to 70%
Up to 80% for young farmers* and the diary sector

Minimum guarantee period

12 months

Maximum guarantee period

15 years

Purpose of the loan for which the guarantee is granted

Net working capital and linked working capital

Share of working capital  

Up to EUR 200,000, i.e., up to 30% of the total eligible costs, whichever is higher

Risk premium fee (guarantee issuance fee)

0.25% of the total guarantee approved
0.10% for young farmers and the diary sector

Scope of guarantee

Loan principal

Aid

De minimis aid and/or state aid (ABER / GBER) and or public aid in accordance with Annex II to Regulation (EU) No. 1305/2013

Security instruments

Debentures of the entity, owner and other security instruments according to risk assessment

*’Young farmer’ means a person who is no more than 40 years of age (up until the day before turning 41) at the moment of submitting the application, who possesses adequate occupational skills and knowledge and is setting up for the first time in an agricultural holding as head of that holding (has the status of a holder/manager of an agricultural holding or majority ownership of a business).

The geographical scope of the investment, in terms of implementation, is the entire territory of the Republic of Croatia, excluding urban centers such as Zagreb, Osijek, Rijeka and Split.

Types of investment that are not eligible for a guarantee

  • Financing of VAT refund
  • Refinancing of current liabilities
  • Cost of land purchase that exceeds 10% of the total investment
  • Loan interest repayment
  • Non-eligible costs under state aid legislation
  • Bridge loans, business account framework loans, revolving loans, others loans in the form of renewable credit lines, framework for guarantees, loans etc., loans in the form of mezzanine loans, subordinated debt or quasi-equity
  • Personal investments
  • Construction or purchase of housing and business properties for sale or rent, except for the tourist activity of the applicant
  • Purchase of immovable and movable property from related parties; definitions of related parties and entities are provided in Article 3 of Annex I to the Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 (hereinafter: GBER) and International Accounting Standard 24
  • Purchase of movables for sale
  • Buying commercial property under construction  
  • Buying shares in other entities.