Uzbekistan SME Industrial Cooperation Fund 2026

Uzbekistan's SME Industrial Cooperation Fund provides financing and support to small and medium enterprises engaged in industrial production and manufacturing activities. The fund offers preferential loan terms, partial credit guarantees, and technical assistance to help SMEs modernize equipment, increase production capacity, and improve product quality. The programme aims to strengthen Uzbekistan's industrial base and promote import substitution through domestic manufacturing growth.

The fund prioritizes manufacturing sectors aligned with Uzbekistan's industrial development strategy including textiles and garments, food processing, building materials, leather goods, electrical equipment, and pharmaceutical production. Special attention is given to enterprises that create employment in regional areas outside Tashkent, contribute to export growth, and help reduce Uzbekistan's dependence on imported consumer goods through local production capabilities.

The Fund concentrates on manufacturing contributing to import substitution and export diversification: textiles, food processing, construction materials, pharmaceuticals, and electrical equipment. It encourages ventures with foreign industrial partnerships for technology transfer. Proposals reducing dependence on imported goods while creating regional employment receive enhanced evaluation scoring.

The Fund provides subsidized lending rates, extended repayment horizons, and grace periods calibrated to manufacturing timelines. Capital covers equipment, facility construction, working capital, and certifications. Collateral is more flexible than banking standards given the developmental mandate. Enterprises submit quarterly reports on production volumes, employment, and export revenue against milestones.

The fund prioritizes textile finishing equipment upgrades, leather tanning process automation, ceramic tile kiln efficiency improvements, and food preservation technology installations across Uzbekistan's industrial heartland. Beneficiaries receive technical diagnostics identifying bottleneck operations constraining throughput capacity. Equipment procurement specifications must demonstrate measurable productivity gains through reduced energy consumption per unit, decreased raw material wastage percentages, and improved dimensional accuracy tolerances. Metallurgical enterprises pursuing international quality certifications receive supplementary compliance documentation assistance.

The fund supports Uzbek manufacturers in obtaining international product certifications necessary for penetrating European, Turkish, and East Asian consumer markets. Export readiness assessments evaluate packaging standards compliance, phytosanitary documentation protocols, and customs harmonization requirements under Central Asian regional trade agreements. Logistics optimization consultancies identify multimodal transportation corridors combining rail freight through Kazakhstan with maritime shipping via Georgian Black Sea ports. Participation in international trade exhibitions receives partial sponsorship to establish buyer relationships.