Ukraine Credit Guarantee Scheme (UCGS)
The Ukraine Credit Guarantee Scheme (UCGS) is provided by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) to enable viable SMEs, including primary producers, and Small Mid-Caps impacted by additional costs due to the war in Ukraine to access low-cost finance.
The scheme supports economic activity in Ireland facilitating the provision of working capital and medium-term investment finance to businesses adversely impacted by the war in Ukraine and facing supply chain disruptions and increased input costs, including severe increases in energy costs.
A Guarantee premium is payable by the borrower. It will be incorporated into the margin, collected by the Bank and paid to the Government of Ireland.
It will run until 31 December 2024 or until it is fully subscribed.
Loan Purpose
The Ukraine Credit Guarantee Scheme is designed to address the economic impact due to the war in Ukraine
- Working capital and investment loans to support SMEs, including farmers and fisheries, impacted by additional costs due to the war in Ukraine
- Refinancing of loans is not permitted under this scheme
*SBCI stands for Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland. For more information on SBCI visit https://sbci.gov.ie/ 2
Who can apply?
Viable SMEs and Small Mid-Caps (including farmers and fisheries) that meet the eligibility criteria.
SMEs are defined by the standard EU definition contained in Commission Regulation 2003/361/EC as enterprises that:
- Have fewer than 250 employees
- Have an annual turnover not exceeding €50 million and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding €43 million
A Small Mid-Cap is an enterprise that is not an SME but has fewer than 500 employees.
In addition, in order to be eligible for the scheme, businesses must be both established and operating in the Republic of Ireland.
Excluded Activities
Loans will not be provided to SMEs or Small Mid-Caps that have a substantial focus in any of the following sectors:
- Finance of pure real estate development activity
- Finance of activities constituting pure financial transactions (e.g., purchase of shares)
- Loans to undertakings in difficulty
- Finance of activities forbidden by national or EU law
- Finance of the acquisition of road freight transport vehicles by undertakings performing road freight transport for hire or reward; and
- Finance of export-specific activities, namely funding directly linked to the quantities exported, to the establishment and operation of a distribution network or to other current expenditure linked to the export activity, or finance contingent upon the use of domestic over imported products. In particular, it should not apply to financing the establishment and operation of a distribution network in other States, or current expenditure linked to the export activity.
- Purchase of agri land
Before you apply, make sure that your business qualifies for the scheme 1
How to apply
Step 1 – Applicants must first register on the SBCI Hub and submit an online Eligibility Application Form to check if they can access the scheme. Once the online form is completed, successful applicants will be issued with an eligibility code.
Step 2 – The applicant must provide this eligibility code to the Bank when submitting their credit application.
For customers with a Business Relationship Manager you can apply for a Ukraine Credit Guarantee Scheme through your Business Relationship Manager.
If you’re seeking a loan of up to €500,000 you can apply online.
For amounts greater than €500,000 please contact your Relationship Manager or click here.
Please note that the SBCI eligibility code is not a guarantee of loan approval and does not impose any obligation on the lender to provide a loan.
Approval of loans is subject to the scheme lenders’ own credit criteria, policies and procedures.
Eligibility Confirmation
The SBCI will confirm if you are eligible to apply for the Ukraine Credit Guarantee Scheme and will issue an Eligibility Confirmation letter once approved. Should you have any queries about the scheme eligibility, call the SBCI helpdesk on 1800 804 482.
Loan amount criteria
The amount of credit that can be obtained by borrowers under the scheme is subject to the scheme rules and the Temporary Crisis Framework.
The maximum amount of credit per borrower under the scheme cannot exceed €1 million, and will in most circumstances be determined by one of the following two criteria:
- 15% of the borrower’s average total annual turnover over the last three accounting periods;
OR
- 50% of the borrower’s energy costs over the last 12 months preceding the month when the application for credit is submitted
Under the terms of the Ukraine Credit Guarantee Scheme, some applicants who qualify as micro enterprises may be entitled in limited circumstances to avail of the Scheme to fund their anticipated liquidity costs for the next twelve months, provided that the micro enterprise can satisfy the Bank’s credit requirements for lending to such micro enterprises under the Scheme.
State Aid
The Ukraine Credit Guarantee Scheme currently operates under the EU “Temporary Crisis Framework” (TCF) for State aid measures to support the economy following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
If you have received state aid in the past, you will have received a letter from the public agency that provided it. These include Enterprise Ireland, Bord Bia or your Local Enterprise Office.
Representative Examples
Loans < €250,000
A Ukraine Credit Guarantee Scheme facility of €100,000 at a variable rate of 4.23% over a 3 year term will require 36 monthly repayments of €2,961.98. The total cost of credit is €6,631.28.
A Ukraine Credit Guarantee Scheme facility of €100,000 at a variable rate of 4.62% over a 6 year term will require 72 monthly repayments of €1,592.11. The total cost of credit is €14,631.92.
Loans => €250,000
A Ukraine Credit Guarantee Scheme facility of €300,000 at a variable rate of 3.89% over a 3 year term will require 36 monthly repayments of €8,840.85. The total cost of credit is €18,270.60.
A Ukraine Credit Guarantee Scheme facility of €300,000 at a variable rate of 4.28% over a 6 year term will require 72 monthly repayments of €4,729.84. The total cost of credit is €40,548.48.
Warning: The entire amount that you have borrowed will still be outstanding at the end of the interest-only period.
Warning: If you do not meet the repayments on your credit facility agreement, your account will go into arrears, this may affect your credit rating which may limit your ability to access credit in the future.
Warning: The cost of your repayments may increase.
Bank of Ireland is not for responsible for information provided on third party websites.
Level of security required and rate applicable, will be determined by the amount, purpose & term of facility, in conjunction with the nature and value of the security being offered.
Over 18 years only. Lending criteria, terms and conditions apply.
The Ukraine Credit Guarantee Scheme is a variable rate loan. If you repay early, in full or in part, your Ukraine Credit Guarantee Scheme, additional charges will not be payable to Bank of Ireland