Program Overview
The Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) was established in September 2014 by the Department of Finance to ensure Irish SMEs have access to stable, lower-cost, long-term funding options.
The Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme (GSLS) provides SMEs and Small Mid-Caps, including farmers and fishers, with long-term financing to encourage growth, resilience, and investment in climate action and environmental sustainability measures.
Funding Amount
Total Lending Capacity: €560 million available for Irish SMEs through EIB partnership
Recent Agreement: €200 million funding agreement signed between SBCI and European Investment Bank enables the expanded €560M capacity
Timeline: Scheme operates until 30 June 2026 or until fully subscribed, whichever is earlier
Key Benefits
Reduced Interest Rates: Loan rates are reduced from standard bank rates offered by participating lenders
Climate Discount: Additional 0.25% interest rate reduction for businesses with climate action and environmentally sustainable eligibility
Long-Term Financing: Access to stable, long-term funding to support business growth and resilience
EIB Guarantee: Backed by European Investment Bank Group guarantee for added security
Eligibility Requirements
Business Type: SMEs and Small Mid-Caps operating in Ireland (includes farmers and fishers)
Purpose: Funding for growth, resilience, or investment in climate action and environmental sustainability
Participating Lenders: Must apply through one of SBCI's participating on-lender banks
Creditworthiness: Standard lending criteria apply through participating banks
Application Process
-
Contact Participating Bank: Apply through one of SBCI's participating on-lender banks (Bank of Ireland, PTSB, and others)
-
Submit Application: Provide business plan, financial statements, and details of funding purpose
-
Climate Eligibility: If applying for climate discount, demonstrate environmental sustainability or climate action measures
-
Credit Assessment: Bank evaluates loan application using standard lending criteria
-
Approval and Drawdown: Once approved, loan is disbursed at reduced SBCI-supported interest rate
Contact Information
Website: sbci.gov.ie
Scheme Information: enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/supports-for-smes/access-to-finance/growth-and-sustainability-loan-scheme
Common Questions
The Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) Growth and Sustainability Loans provide affordable medium-term financing for Irish SMEs investing in business growth, sustainability improvements, and digital transformation. Eligible purposes include equipment purchases, premises expansion, energy efficiency upgrades, and working capital for growth. Loans typically range from EUR 25,000 to EUR 3 million with competitive interest rates.
SBCI loans are offered through participating commercial lenders but benefit from government-backed risk-sharing arrangements, which allows lenders to offer lower interest rates and more flexible terms than standard commercial loans. The SBCI does not lend directly but channels funding through on-lending partners. Borrowers apply through the participating banks and credit unions listed on the SBCI website.
SBCI channels EIB and KfW capital through on-lenders including AIB, Bank of Ireland, and non-bank providers. Competitively priced wholesale funding passes cost advantages to qualifying SME borrowers via reduced rates. This leverages existing bank relationships while embedding policy objectives around credit accessibility and regional development in commercially delivered products.
Preferential terms cover EU Taxonomy-eligible investments: energy retrofitting, renewable installation, EV fleet conversion, circular manufacturing, and sustainable agriculture. Biodiversity and water treatment improvements also qualify. Assessment examines whether investments deliver measurable environmental outcomes proportionate to financing, preventing greenwashing while encouraging genuine operational transformation.
SBCI sustainability loans finance energy efficiency retrofits including heat recovery ventilation installation, LED lighting conversion, and boiler replacement with biomass alternatives across Irish food processing facilities. Dairy processing enterprises investing in anaerobic digestion systems converting whey permeate into biogas demonstrate circular economy commitment. Refrigeration system transitions from hydrofluorocarbon to natural refrigerant alternatives reduce greenhouse gas emission intensity per unit of production output. Packaging innovation investments including compostable film laminates, reusable container deposit systems, and lightweighted glass bottle designs address consumer and retailer sustainability procurement specification requirements.
Qualifying digital transformation investments encompass manufacturing execution system deployment, industrial internet-of-things sensor network installation, and predictive maintenance algorithm development across Irish production facilities. Enterprise resource planning platform migrations from legacy spreadsheet-based workflows to cloud-hosted integrated solutions streamline procurement, inventory, and financial consolidation processes. Robotic process automation implementations addressing invoice processing, customs documentation preparation, and regulatory compliance reporting reduce administrative labor requirements. Cybersecurity infrastructure investments including endpoint protection deployment, network segmentation architecture, and employee phishing awareness training programmes qualify as eligible expenditure categories.
References
- Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme. Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ireland) (2025). View source
- Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland - Home. SBCI (2025). View source
- SBCI and EIB partnership to enable €560 million new lending to SMEs. European Investment Bank (2025). View source
Explore AI consulting, training, and solutions in Ireland.
View Ireland hubReady to Explore AI Training in Ireland?
We help organizations navigate funding programs and deliver claimable AI training. Let us know what you are working on.
Start a Conversation