Wielkopolska
Development Fund

Based in Poznań, Wielkopolska Development Fund is a company of the Self-Government of the Wielkopolska voivodship (Greater Poland), which since 2016 has been working for the sustainable development of the region and financial support for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. The Wielkopolska Development Fund, which is a specialised regional financial institution, manages financial resources from funds returned from the JEREMIE and JESSICA Initiatives, implemented under the Wielkopolska Regional Operational Programme for the years 2007-2013. The funds, an amount of nearly 900 million PLN, are used by the Fund to grant (directly or indirectly – with the participation of Financial Intermediaries) loans and guarantees for entities from the Wielkopolska voivodship. Since the support is repayable, once the financial resources made available are returned to the Fund, they are reinvested in the development of Wielkopolska.

The Company also undertakes and participates in various initiatives related to the promotion of the region abroad and the expansion of companies from the region to foreign markets. The Fund organises a series of events named Doing Business, during which external experts share their knowledge and experience in the field of conducting export activity and establishing international relations with entrepreneurs. In addition, the Fund, together with entrepreneurs and representatives of local government units, participates in economic missions aimed at establishing direct relationships and conducting substantive business talks with foreign entities in different parts of the world.

The Wielkopolska Development Fund strives to create a long-lasting mechanism for financing regional development and, together with its partners, seeks the most effective forms of support for entrepreneurship. The company closely cooperates with representatives of local government units, business environment institutions, universities, and entrepreneurs in order to create conditions conducive to regional development. Apart from the current range of financial products and activities already undertaken, the Company is constantly working on new solutions that will meet the expectations of entrepreneurs, local governments, and local communities.

The objective of the Wielkopolska Development Fund’s activity is to carry out tasks for the benefit of the Wielkopolska voivodship, which involves managing the funds returned from the JEREMIE and JESSICA Initiatives from the 2007-2013 perspective of by using them to support the development of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, urban development, or energy efficiency projects. Moreover, the Fund’s aim is to build a long-lasting regional system of financing investments in the above mentioned areas. The Wielkopolska Development Fund also takes action to promote the Wielkopolska voivodship as a region attractive to investors and encouraging business activity.

The Wielkopolska Development Fund provides support for entrepreneurs both individually (Expansion Loan, Regional Loan) and through selected Financial Intermediaries (Guarantees). The key condition for obtaining support is to have the status of an enterprise from the SME sector conducting business activity in the Wielkopolska voivodship. Moreover, the Fund has launched a product which can be applied for by Financial Intermediaries (Financial Facility).

AVAILABLE FINANCIAL PRODUCTS:

Objective of the loan: financing of current business activity, including purposes such as increasing the working capital related to the business activity conducted by enterprises from the SME sector. The purpose of the Liquidity Loan is to support SMEs in the Wielkopolska voivodship by providing liquidity financing in connection with the negative consequences of the COVID-19 epidemic.
For whom: micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises from the Wielkopolska voivodship which saw, as a result of the phenomena caused by the COVID-19 epidemic, a decrease in turnover/revenue from business activity by:
– at least 20% in any given calendar month in comparison with the previous month in 2020 or – at least 15% in any given period (not less than one month) of 2020 in comparison with the corresponding period of 2019, where the decrease is calculated on the basis of average monthly turnover/revenue for the period concerned
Loan amount: up to 300 thousand PLN
Repayment period: up to 6 years, including a grace period of up to 12 months and loan holidays of up to 6 months.
Interest rate: from 0%.
Commissions and fees: none
Financial intermediaries: Wielkopolska Agency of Entrepreneurship Development in Poznań and Agency of Regional Development in Konin

Objective of the loan: creating or strengthening the expansion potential of Wielkopolska companies – future or existing exporters
For whom: enterprises from the SME sector operating in the area of the Wielkopolska voivodship
Loan amount: from 500 thousand to 10 million PLN
Repayment period: 15 years
Own contribution: 10-25%
Interest rate: on market conditions (base rate + margin)
Commissions and fees: none

Objective of the loan: SMEs’ obtaining the financial potential to execute a public procurement contract in the area of Wielkopolska voivodship
For whom: enterprises from the SME sector operating in the area of the Wielkopolska voivodship
Loan amount: from 500 thousand to 20 million PLN
Repayment period: 20 years
Own contribution: none
Interest rate: on market conditions (base rate + margin)
Commissions and fees: none

Purpose of the guarantee: securing the repayment of investment-related liabilities (investment credit, investment loan, operating and financial leasing, or bank guarantee) and turnover-related liabilities (turnover credit, turnover loan, factoring, bank guarantee, bid security in public procurement proceedings, or proper performance of a public procurement contract)
For whom: enterprises from the SME sector operating in the area of the Wielkopolska voivodship
Guarantee amount:
- up to 500 thousand PLN – for turnover-related transactions
- up to 1 milion PLN for investment-related transactions
Rate of Individual Guarantee: up to 80% of the transaction amount, except for bid bond guarantees (where the amount is up to 100% of the liability capital)
Guarantee term:
- Up to 36 months from the date of the conclusion of the agreement – for turnover-related transactions
- Up to 84 months from the date of the conclusion of the agreement – for investment-related transactions
Interest rate:
- on terms more favourable than the market’s, i.e. in accordance with the rules on de minimis aid.
- on market conditions, using so-called safe-harbour rates
Financial intermediaries: Self-Governmental Credit Guarantee Fund; Poznanian Credit Guarantee Fund; Fund for the Development and Promotion of the Wielkopolska Voivodship; Wielkopolska Guarantee Consortium comprising: Fund for the Development and Promotion of the Wielkopolska Voivodeship and Financing and Consultancy; POLFUND Credit Guarantee Fund

Goal of the loan: providing own contribution of the Financial Intermediary to financial instruments offered to entrepreneurs, including the fulfilment of the condition of participation in the proceedings concerning PF’s financial situation
For whom: public or private entities providing support to enterprises from the SME sector in the Wielkopolska voivodship by means of financial instruments under the European Structural and Investment Funds implementation system for the eyars 2014-2020
Value of Financial Facility II: up to 50 milion PLN
Interest rate:
- 1% – on terms more favourable than market terms
- on market terms

The product will soon be available from selected Financial Intermediaries. More information will be available soon.