Financial support for exports

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Are you going to sell to, or establish your company in, another country? You can find various types of financial support in the list below.

  1. Business development vouchers

    Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth

    Grants

    Business development vouchers are aimed at small businesses with 2–49 employees and sales of at least SEK 3 million that want to enter a new international market or further widen their international market.

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    Companies can apply for a voucher for SEK 50 000–200 000. The voucher covers half of the cost, and the rest is paid by the company itself.

    The voucher can be used for

    • purchase of a service
    • travel expenses (maximum of 20 per cent of total costs)
    • project employment (which starts after the decision, i.e. it has to bring new skills to the company).


    Applications are made at regional level.

    Read more about business development vouchers on the website of the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (in Swedish)

  2. Regional grants for business development

    Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth

    Grants

    You can apply for a regional grant if you have a privately owned small or medium-sized enterprise that you want to start or develop, if you have difficulty finding or obtaining financing in the private market.

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    Regional grants for business development are given to everything from major investments in, for example, machinery and buildings to small sums for consultancy services, product development or participation in exhibitions.

    The grants are based on percentages of the approved costs. They are maximised to 10 to 35 percent. The purpose of regional support to companies is to strengthen and develop the company’s competitiveness and to thereby strengthen and develop local business and industry.

    Whether your company can get support depends on where your company is located in Sweden and what your company does.

    Read more about the types of regional business support on the website of the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (in Swedish)

  3. Support for innovative solutions that improve living conditions in developing countries

    Sida

    Grants

    Sida (the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) offers financial support and advice to small and medium-sized enterprises that want to develop innovative solutions that help poor people to improve their living conditions.

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    Sida only collaborates with small and medium-sized enterprises that are based on sustainable enterprise with poor people as customers, employees, producers, distributers or entrepreneurs in different parts of the value chain.

    The enterprises have to ‘compete’ for funding from what are called ‘challenge funds’ to which they can send their project proposals with innovative solutions. The enterprises must meet at last 50 per cent of the costs. Cofinancing by the funds varies. For example, the Global Innovation Fund provides up to USD 15 million to support innovations.

    Sida can make it easier for enterprises to get loans for their projects by sharing the risk with the lender. Sida does so by providing various forms of guarantees, for example payment guarantees and guarantees for market risks such as fluctuations in price and demand.

    Read more about Sida’s business sector activities on Sida’s website (in Swedish)

  4. Consultancy vouchers for business development

    Agencies with responsibility for regional development

    Grants

    You can get a grant for external consultancy services on order to develop your company. This form of support is often called a consultancy voucher and it can be granted throughout the country.

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    Small and medium-sized enterprises can be granted support of not more than SEK 150 000 per initiative and a maximum of 50 per cent of the cost.

    The service purchased can concern product development, marketing skills, development and other similar purposes.

    The service must not be used for regular operations. The consultancy voucher for business development is a form of regional business support that you can apply for from your county administrative board or region. Your will find links to their websites via the link shown below.

    Read more about consultancy vouchers for business development on the website of the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growt (In Swedish) 

  5. Demo Environment - support for environmental technology and to strengthen small enterprises and reduce poverty

    Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth

    Grants

    Demo Environment helps small and medium-sized environmental technology enterprises to establish businesses in 14 developing countries in Africa, South America, Asia, Western Balkans and Eastern Europe. You can apply for a grant twice a year.

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    Demo Environment supports solutions that reduce negative environmental and climate impacts and improve the living conditions of poor people in the 14 countries selected.

    Companies in Sweden can apply for planning grants- The maximum grant is SEK 350 000.

    Organisations in any of the 14 selected countries can apply for grants for demonstration projects. The grant can be between SEK 500 000 and 1 800 000.

    Read more about the application procedure for Demo Environment on the website of the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth 

  1. Export finance

    Almi

    Loan

    Almi offers various forms of export finance to make it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises to undertake ventures abroad.

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    Almi‘s export loans are aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises that want to invest in exports in all industries.

    The export loan works like Almi‘s business loan. The difference is that the company can also take loans in foreign currency. Normally an export loan has to be paid back within three to five years.

    Almi's loans are aimed at companies with up to 250 employees in all industries. To offset the higher risk Almi charges an interest rate that is above the average bank interest rate. For Almi the viability of the business concept and the expertise of the management carry most weight in the financial appraisal of the company.

    Read more about export loans on Almi's website (in Swedish)

  2. Conditional loans for feasibility studies of environmental investments outside the EU/EFTA

    Nordic Project Fund (Nopef)

    Loan

    Nopef offers loans with favourable terms for small and medium-sized enterprises in the Nordic region. The purpose is to finance feasibility studies so as to strengthen the international competitiveness of these enterprises.

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    Does your company want to evaluate a long-term investment and the establishment of business operations that contribute to positive environmental impacts in a country outside the EU/EFTA area? Then Nopef can grant interest-free conditional loans of up to 40 per cent of the cost of a feasibility study.

    If you choose to establish business operations in the country or countries after the feasibility study, the whole of the loan can be converted into support. If you do not establish business operations, Nopef can only forgive 50 per cent of the conditional loan you were granted. The maximum sum that can be borrowed is EUR 50 000.

    Read more about loans on the Nopef website

  3. Export support for environmental projects

    Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO)

    Loan

    NEFCO offers Nordic companies loan finance, export support and venture capital for small and medium-sized environmental projects, mainly in Eastern Europe.

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    NEFCO offers various types of loans to Nordic exporters of products and services and credits to buyers of Nordic products and services. NEFCO can also provide venture capital. Projects that have positive effects on the environment can also receive export support on favourable terms.

    NEFCO finances small and medium-sized environmental projects that have demonstration value. Many of the projects are innovative, and the projects are often intended to test Nordic solutions that are scalable.

    Read more about financial solutions on the NEFCO website

  4. Loans to Swedish exporters and their customers

    Swedish Export Credit Corporation (SEK)

    Loan

    SEK offers financial solutions to Swedish exporters and their customers. SEK is primarily aimed at companies with sales of at least SEK 500 million that are working with exports in some way.

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    SEK can offer Swedish export companies and their subsidiaries loans in a number of different currencies and maturities.

    SEK also lends money to buyers of Swedish export products (international buyers) in the form of export credits, the financing of trade receivables, project financing and various kinds of contract guarantees.

    Read more on the website of the Swedish Export Credit Corporations webbplats

  1. Investment support for companies in emerging markets

    Swedfund

    Risk capital

    Swedfund offers financing, expertise and establishment support for investments in emerging markets in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe.

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    Swedfund shares risk and offers partnership and partial financing mainly through equity and loans. In cooperation with our partners we have to contribute to investments that are sustainable in economic, environmental, climate and social terms.

    Small and medium-sized enterprises can apply for support to establish cooperation with companies in the countries concerned through the Swedpartnership financial programme.

    In addition, Swedfund provides partial financing of consultancy work that increases the product development and ordering skills of project owners in the countries covered.

    Read more on Swedfund’s website

  1. Guarantees to cover payment risks in export deals

    Swedish Export Credit Agency (EKN)

    Credits

    The Swedish Export Credit Agency (EKN) insures companies and banks against the risk of not being paid in export deals. This makes its easier for large and small export companies to get loans. EKN also helps sub-suppliers of export companies.

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    EKN guarantees provide protection against the risk of not being paid, which means that you are able to give your buyer better credit terms.

    EKN can also share risks with your bank, which makes it easier for you to finance your operations and get contract guarantees, such as guarantees for advances in export deals.

    To apply for their guarantees you can go directly online or download the forms at www.ekn.se.

    New guarantees in response to the Covid-19 pandemic at the Swedish Export Credit Agency (EKN)

  1. Strategic advice and practical support

    Business Sweden

    Other

    Business Sweden offers assistance that covers the whole process from export information to concrete sales and market support on the ground.

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    Business Sweden offers assistance in establishing companies, their products, services or ideas in new markets, or in growing in an existing market. One important part of their role is to identify opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises that have the potential to grow internationally.

    The Small Business Programme in eight steps is aimed at Swedish companies with sales of up to EUR 10 million and at most 50 employees. The full programme, or the parts of it that suit the individual company, can be implemented.

    Read more about special services for small and medium-sized businesses on the Business Sweden website 

  2. The EEN keeps you on the right path in EU project finance

    Enterprise Europe Network (EEN)

    Other

    Enterprise Europe Network helps you find the right path around the EU finance jungle. We listen to your company’s needs and match them to possible finance. We are happy to help by reading your application before you submit it for assessment.

    Read more

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