The Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship will begin allocating non-repayable grants to entrepreneurs in June, amounting to 326 million kuna.
These funds will be used by entrepreneurs, or businesspeople, to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, support entrepreneurial infrastructure in business zones, technological parks, and clusters, as well as for training personnel and subsidizing interest rates.
– This year, the government will allocate a total of 587 million kuna to entrepreneurship, and part of these funds, specifically 326 million kuna, has been allocated to the Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship for support to small and medium-sized enterprises – emphasized Tihana Kraljić, the state secretary of the ministry, at the National Consultation on Economy and Entrepreneurship, adding that they have already received more than six thousand applications for the allocation of funds.
In addition to the mentioned funds, Kraljić added, the ministry has an agreement for financing entrepreneurship with 18 commercial banks and with 18 counties and the city of Zagreb. Specifically, this involves 1.4 billion kuna, which will be used to grant loans to entrepreneurs in amounts ranging from 200 thousand to five million kuna. The role of the counties and cities will be to subsidize two percent of the interest rate for entrepreneurs, while the ministry will subsidize another two percent, meaning that the interest rate will range from 2.5 to seven percent, which is far more favorable than the currently available loans offered by commercial banks on the market. (Siniša Maksimović)
