Step 1 – Applicants must first register (or login) on the SBCI Hub and submit an online Eligibility Application Form to check if they are eligible to avail of the scheme. Once the online form is completed, successful applicants will be issued with an eligibility code.

Step 2 – The applicant must provide this eligibility code to a participating on-lender to begin their credit application process.

Please note that the SBCI eligibility code is not a guarantee of credit approval and does not oblige the on-lender to provide finance.

Approval of loans is subject to each of the participating on-lender’s credit criteria, policies and procedures.

The application window for the Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme will be available until 30 June 2029 or until the scheme has been fully subscribed (whichever is earlier).

The scheme provides SMEs and Small Mid-Caps, including farmers, fishers and foresters, with long-term financing to encourage the growth and resilience of their enterprises or improve their performance in terms of climate action and environmental sustainability.

These loans are for long-term investments towards climate action and environment sustainability.

Businesses wishing to invest in climate action and environmental sustainability may be categorised as one of the following:

• Investment in green/sustainable measures
• Any investment by SMEs classified as a Green / Sustainable Enterprise
• Any investment by farmers classified as a holder of a Green Eco Label

Qualifying climate action and environmentally sustainable loans will receive a discounted interest rate when compared to equivalent loans.

For scheme applicants that are checking compliance with the Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability Eligibility Criteria, such criteria are set out in the Use Case Document.

Do you qualify for a Green Discount?

Are you a sustainable enterprise or investing in climate action and environmentally sustainable measures? You may be eligible for a discounted interest rate on your GSLS loan.

The below table provides information on requirements for green discount eligibility.

Green Eco Label (Farming)

Are you a beef/sheep or dairy farmer participating in quality assurance or biodiversity schemes? You may be eligible for a discount as a sustainable farmer.

To qualify, borrowers must be members of:

• The Department of Agriculture’s ACRES Tier 1, Tier 2 or ACRES Co-operation, and

• Bord Bia’s Origin Green Beef/Sheep or Dairy Assurance Schemes

Eligibility will be based on providing a valid herd number linked to the above schemes.

For more information on membership of these schemes please use the below links:

• ACRES
• Origin Green
• Green Eco Label – Farmers - Eligibility Criteria (Use Case Document)
• Start your SBCI eligibility assessment here

Green Eco Label (Organic Farming)

Are you an organic farmer certified by an organic certification body? You may be eligible for a discount as an organic farmer.

To qualify, borrowers must:

• be registered with, and approved as, an organic operator by an organic certification body, and
• be a member of the Department of Agriculture’s Organic Farming Scheme.

Eligibility will be based on providing valid herd number, linked to the Department of Agriculture’s Organic Scheme.

For more information on membership of these schemes please use the link below.

• Organic Farming Scheme
• Green Eco Label – Farmers - Eligibility Criteria (Use Case Document)
• Start your SBCI eligibility assessment here

Green Enterprise - SME

Are you an SME engaged primarily in sustainable activities? You may be eligible for a discount as a Green SME.

To qualify, borrowers must:

• generate 90% or more of their revenue from eligible, sustainable activities, and
• provide an external accountant’s letter confirming the percentage of “green” activity revenue in the most recent 12-month period for which financial information is available.

Applicants will be required to upload the external accountant’s letter referenced above during the pre-eligibility application on the SBCI Hub.

For a list of sustainable activities, please see the Green SME Use Case Document

For a more information regarding the valid Accountant’s Letter upload, please see the Accountants Letter Template

Start your SBCI eligibility assessment here

Green Measures

Are you planning to invest in green measures to improve your company’s position in relation to climate action and environmental sustainability? You may be eligible for a discount.

To qualify, borrowers must:

• be investing in measures which align with the EIB Group’s parameters for the scheme and
• provide a description of intended measure(s) during your SBCI Hub application

Eligibility will be based on the assessment made during your SBCI Hub application.

Access a list of eligible categories here

Watch the video on How to complete your EIB Green Checker Assessment here

Use Case Document for eligibility of Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability support

Start your SBCI eligibility assessment here

Green Measures - Farming

Are you a farmer planning to invest in improvements supported by the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS), such as upgrading farm buildings or equipment? You may be eligible for a discount.

To qualify, borrowers must:

• be investing in a TAMS-supported project, and
• provide a description of intended measure(s) during your SBCI Hub application.

Eligibility will be based on the assessment made during your SBCI Hub application.

Access a list of eligible TAMS investment here

Use Case Document for eligibility of Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability support

Start your SBCI eligibility assessment here

These loans are long-term investments towards the growth and resilience of the enterprise.

Loans will be allowed – subject to certain conditions – for, but not limited to, the following purposes:

• Investments in tangible or intangible assets
• Machinery or equipment
• Research and development
• Business expansion
• Premises improvement
• Process innovation

• Loan amounts from €25,000 to a maximum of €3,000,000 per borrower (loan amounts are dependent on aid intensity and State aid thresholds)
• Discounted interest rates when compared to equivalent loans, with an additional discount for loans for climate action and environmentally sustainable purposes
• Loan terms from 7 years up to a maximum of 10 years
• Loans are unsecured up to €500,000 subject to certain exceptions; loans above €500,000 may be secured
• Personal guarantees for loans in excess of €500,000 are limited up to 20% of the loan amount
• Loans may only be used for the purposes of long-term investment for business growth and resilience or long-term investment in climate action and environmentally sustainable measures
• Loans are available up to 30 June 2029 or until the scheme has been fully subscribed (whichever is earlier)

This is an indicative and non-exhaustive list. The various legal documents presented by the scheme on-lenders will contain the full terms and conditions of the scheme. A template set of terms and conditions is available here and applicants should review same before proceeding with an application for the scheme.

Loan interest rates vary between participating on-lenders, but are reduced from standard rates.

An additional 0.25% discount will be applied to businesses with climate action and environmentally sustainable eligibility.

Learn more about climate action and environmental sustainability eligibility.

Loans are not available to SMEs and Small Mid-Caps, including farmers, fishers and foresters, with a business focus on one or more of the restricted sectors, including but not limited to:

• Any production, trade or other activity that is illegal under the laws or regulations of the home jurisdiction for such production, trade or activity (including human cloning).
• The production of and trade in tobacco and related products.
• The financing of the production of and trade in weapons and ammunition of any kind. This restriction does not apply to the extent such activities are part of or accessory to explicit European Union policies.
• Casinos and equivalent enterprises.
• Research, development or technical applications relating to electronic data programs or solutions, which:
  • (a) aim specifically at:
    • (i) supporting any activity included in the restricted sectors referred to above;
    • (ii) internet gambling and online casinos; or
    • (iii) pornography

or which:

• (b) are intended to enable to illegally:
  • (i) enter into electronic data networks; or
  • (ii) download electronic data.
• When providing support to the financing of the research, development or technical applications relating to
  • (a) human cloning for research or therapeutic purposes; and
  • (b) Genetically Modified Organisms (“GMOs”)
  the SBCI will require appropriate specific assurance on the control of legal, regulatory and ethical issues linked to such human cloning for research or therapeutic purposes and/or GMOs.
• Fossil fuel-based energy production and related activities such as:
  • (a) Coal mining, processing, transport and storage;
  • (b) Oil exploration and production, refining, transport, distribution and storage;
  • (c) Natural gas exploration and production, liquefaction, regasification, transport, distribution and storage; or
  • (d) Electric power generation exceeding the Emissions Performance Standard (i.e. 250 grams of CO2e per kWh of electricity), applicable to fossil fuel-fired power and cogeneration plants, geothermal and hydropower plants with large reservoirs.
• Energy-intensive and/or high CO2-emitting industries and sectors (NACE nomenclature, 4 digits)
  • (a) Manufacture of other organic basic chemicals (NACE 20.14);
  • (b) Manufacture of other inorganic basic chemicals (NACE 20.13);
  • (c) Manufacture of fertilisers and nitrogen compounds (NACE 20.15);
  • (d) Manufacture of plastics in primary forms (NACE 20.16);
  • (e) Manufacture of cement (NACE 23.51);
  • (f) Manufacture of basic iron and steel and ferro-alloys (NACE 24.10);
  • (g) Manufacture of tubes, pipes, hollow profiles and related fittings of steel (NACE 24.20);
  • (h) Cold drawing of bars (NACE 24.31);
  • (i) Cold rolling of narrow strip (NACE 24.32);
  • (j) Cold forming or folding (NACE 24.33);
  • (k) Cold drawing of wire (NACE 24.34);
  • (l) Aluminium production (NACE 24.42);
  • (m) Manufacture of conventionally fuelled aircraft and related machinery (sub-activities contained within NACE 30.30 activity “Manufacture of air- and spacecraft and related machinery”);
  • (n) Conventionally-fuelled passenger air transport (sub-activities of NACE 51.10);
  • (o) Conventionally fuelled freight air transport (sub-activities of NACE 51.21);
  • (p) Service activities incidental to conventionally fuelled air transportation. (sub-activities of NACE 52.23).
• Finance of pure real estate development activity, i.e. financing of land, including agricultural land and an activity with a sole purpose of renovating and re-leasing or re-selling existing buildings, as well as building new projects as for example: buying land and/or building real estate with the aim to increase the value of the property. However, buying or renting of land or buildings or facilities ancillary or instrumental to eligible business activities may be considered eligible in so far as it meets the State aid requirements
• Land acquisition is excluded for farmers
• Financing of activities constituting pure financial transactions, such as the purchase of shares or financial instruments, with the exception of eligible business transfers
• Restrictions specific to fisheries and aquaculture - under Article 29 GBER
• Restrictions specific to agriculture - under Articles 14 and 17 ABER
• Financing to support the purchase of livestock
• Purchase of fishing vessels with the exception of fishers participating under the BIM Young Fisher Scheme
• Further exclusions under the relevant State aid Regulations.

Further exclusions around Restricted Assets can be found here.

This is an indicative and non-exhaustive list. The various legal documents presented by the scheme on-lenders will contain the full terms and conditions of the scheme. A template set of terms and conditions is available here and applicants should review same before proceeding with an application for the scheme.

Viable SME and Small Mid-Cap businesses, including farmers, fishers and foresters, that meet the eligibility criteria.

SMEs and Small Mid-Caps are defined by the standard EU definition contained in Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC.

In addition, in order to be eligible for the scheme, SMEs must be established in an EU Member State and operating in the Republic of Ireland.

An SME or Small Mid-Cap that:

• does not satisfy the eligibility criteria (see section below)
• is bankrupt or being wound up or having its affairs administered by courts
• is subject to, or fulfils the criteria under domestic law for being placed in, collective insolvency proceedings
• in the last five years has entered into an arrangement in the context of being bankrupt, or wound up, or having its affairs administered by courts, or has been the subject of a final judgment or final administrative decision for being in breach of its obligations relating to the payment of taxes or social security contributions, or it or any of the persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control over it has been convicted by a final judgment or a final administrative decision for grave professional misconduct, where such conduct denotes wrongful intent or gross negligence, or it or persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control over it has been the subject of a final judgment for fraud, corruption, participation in a criminal organisation, money laundering or terrorist financing, terrorist offences or offences linked to terrorist activities, or inciting, aiding, abetting or attempting to commit such offences, or child labour and other forms of trafficking in human beings
• has a substantial focus in one or more of the excluded activities or restricted sectors, or
• has been convicted of an offence or subject to a ruling concerning professional conduct, fraud, corruption, involvement in a criminal organisation, money laundering or any other illegal activity where such illegal activity is detrimental to the EU’s financial interest.

This is an indicative and non-exhaustive list. The various legal documents presented by the scheme on-lenders will contain the full terms and conditions of the scheme. A template set of terms and conditions is available here and applicants should review same before proceeding with an application for the scheme.

An SME or Small Mid-Cap must satisfy all of the following criteria:

• It is either an SME or a Small Mid-Cap
• It is established in an EU Member State and operating in the Republic of Ireland
• It is economically viable
• It does not have a substantial focus on one or more restricted sectors
• It is not established in a non-compliant jurisdiction
• It is not engaged in any illegal activities
• It is not a sanctioned person or in breach of restrictive measures
• It is not subject to any preferential tax measure regarded as harmful under the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes
• If the purpose of the loan is an investment in compliance with the Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability Eligibility Criteria, the Borrower shall comply with the relevant criteria set out in the Use Case Document.

This is an indicative and non-exhaustive list. The various legal documents presented by the scheme on-lenders will contain the full terms and conditions of the scheme. A template set of terms and conditions is available here and applicants should review same before proceeding with an application for the scheme.

Loans under the Growth and Sustainable Loan Scheme will be eligible for either growth and resilience investment or climate action and environmentally sustainable purposes.

Once applicants have received their SBCI eligibility code (step 1 of the application process), they must submit their credit application, together with the eligibility code, to the relevant on-lender to begin their loan application process (step 2).

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The Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme operates under the following State aid measures:

De Minimis Regulation

• Small Mid-Caps
• SMEs borrowing funds for climate action and environmental sustainability measures

Article 17 of the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER)

• SMEs borrowing funds to invest in growth and resilience measures

Article 29 of the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER)

• SMEs in the fishery and aquaculture sector implementing process and organisational innovation projects

Article 14 of the Agriculture Block Exemption Regulation (ABER)

• SMEs active in the primary production of agricultural products

Article 17 of the Agriculture Block Exemption Regulation (ABER)

• SMEs active in the processing of agricultural products and the marketing of agricultural products

For a more extensive description of the State aid measures applicable to the scheme, please refer to the relevant Regulations.

The information provided by applicants will be shared with, amongst others, the SBCI, the SBCI’s authorised agents, the European Investment Fund (EIF), the Commission and its agents (including OLAF, the European Anti-Fraud Office), the European Court of Auditors, the European Investment Bank, and any other entity the EIF is subject to, and to their respective affiliates, officers, directors, employees and professional advisers to the extent necessary for the Counter-Guarantee and to their respective auditors.

The SBCI is required to publish details of the borrower and aid amount on its website where the individual aid award for an SME or Small Mid-Cap exceeds the certain thresholds and is required to publish details of the borrower and aid amount on a publicly available register in certain circumstances.

Please note that the loan amount is not the aid amount. The borrower will be sent a State aid letter by the SBCI if any State aid is generated by a loan under the Growth and Sustainable Loan Scheme. Only if the amount of State aid exceeds the above thresholds will the details require publication.

Please see the SBCI Data Protection Statement here

NACE is the standard system used in the European Union for classifying business activity.

• Download a list of NACE Codes applicable for the Scheme.