Orbán aims to scale up Hungarian SMEs with EUR 242M
The Demján Sándor Capital Programme, an element of the Demján Sándor Programme for scaling up local SMEs, will launch with an allocation of HUF 100bn in February, the state secretary for SMEs announced on Wednesday.
The programme will make capital financing available to SMEs for expanding their range of business partners and joining new supply chains, Richárd Szabados said. The 8+1 point Demján Sándor Programme is a part of the government’s New Economic Policy Action Plan. Szabados said the Demján Sándor Capital Programme was drafted with the participation of National Capital Holding and would be implemented with the support of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MKIK).
The details of three more elements of the Demján Sándor Programme will be announced in the coming two weeks, he added.
National Capital Holding CEO Bence Katona said companies could apply for HUF 100m-200m in the framework of the Demján Sándor Capital Programme. The Hungarian Development Bank (MFB) will subscribe the investment fund units in the scheme and MKIK will be in charge of managing the investment fund, he added.
The scheme will not focus on any particular branch of industry, but areas designated in the government’s policy action plan, such as green economy, digitalisation, healthcare, education and sustainable industry, will enjoy an advantage, he said. Purchases of real estate will be excluded from the scheme, but the capital may be used to upgrade or expand property already in use, he added.
The deadline for completing investment projects included in the scheme will be one year, with an option for a six-month extension if justified by the circumstances, he said. He added that the capital could be used for the self-financing requirement for other credit, paving the way for companies to access up to several hundred million forints.
The rate on the state-subsidised capital financing is 5pc. To comply with legal requirements, companies will exchange a token, 1pc equity stake for the financing that carries no right of control and may be repurchased at any time.
Companies with average annual revenue of at least HUF 300m and with at least two people on payroll may apply for the financing.
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