The European Investment Bank is a lending institution of the European Union that finances investments contributing to the Union's objectives – transport and energy infrastructure, building renovation, healthcare, education, innovation and support for enterprise. It does not provide grants, but long-term loans with more favourable terms and longer maturities than are normally available on the market. It finances large projects directly, usually from tens of millions of euros, which is beyond the reach of most Slovak entities. Small and medium-sized enterprises access its funds indirectly, through commercial banks, which obtain resources from it and use them to provide preferential loans. It is precisely these intermediated products that are the most accessible route for companies, and it is worth asking about them directly at your own bank.
See also: Financial instruments, Bank guarantee and preferential loan, Combination of a grant and a loan.
