An EU loan is a repayable financial instrument granted from European Funds through Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) and its cooperating Financing Partners – loan funds, regional development agencies and selected banks. Unlike a commercial loan, it features a significantly lower interest rate and no commission.
Although non-repayable grants remain the most attractive form of support, obtaining them may involve a long competition process and limited availability in time. EU loans are a real alternative for entrepreneurs who need financing faster or whose project does not fit the currently open grant calls.
Why it is worth considering an EU loan
Preferential repayable instruments offer a number of benefits that make them competitive with standard banking products:
- Low interest rate – from 0.25% (Self-employment Loan) to 3%, depending on the voivodeship, the investment profile and the status of the enterprise. In selected programmes, the interest rate is reduced to 1% when additional criteria are met (e.g. alignment with Regional Smart Specialisations, investment in marginalised areas or implementation of R&D results).
- No commission or handling fees – the cost of servicing the loan comes down to interest calculated on the declining principal.
- Long repayment period – typically from 5 to 10 years, with a grace period for principal repayment of up to 12 months.
- Possibility of partial write-off of the principal – selected products (including the Loan for Development Investments with Write-off and Development Loan II in Małopolska) provide for a principal rebate for investments related to digitalisation, automation, robotisation of processes or implementation of the circular economy concept.
- Flexible collateral – typical forms include a blank promissory note, a surety, a registered pledge on the financed fixed assets or a mortgage.
- Availability for young companies – many programmes give special preference to enterprises operating for less than 24 months, which is of significant importance for start-ups and newly established sole proprietorships (JDG).
Overview of the most important EU loans available in 2026
Below, we present several representative products from the offer implemented by BGK under the 2021–2027 financial perspective.
Development Loan II – Małopolska
An instrument dedicated to SMEs carrying out investments in the Małopolskie Voivodeship. The standard interest rate is 3%, while for companies operating for less than 24 months or investing in marginalised areas it falls to 1,5% (with an additional reduction of 0.25 pp for investments aligned with the Regional Smart Specialisations). The maximum loan amount is PLN 2 million, and the repayment period is up to 10 years.
RMR / RWS Investment Loan – Mazowsze
Two complementary products covering the Mazowiecki Regional Region and the Warsaw Capital Region respectively. The standard interest rate is 2%, with the possibility of a reduction to 1% for investments carried out in the regional government’s priority areas or aligned with the Regional Smart Specialisations of Mazowsze.
SME Development Loan – Lubuskie
A product with a fixed, preferential interest rate of 1,5% per annum. The maximum loan value is PLN 2 million (PLN 1 million for internationalisation investments). Financing covers, among other things, eco-innovations, the purchase of machinery and equipment, business expansion and the introduction of products to foreign markets.
Tourism Development Loan – Eastern Poland
A sectoral instrument available to SMEs from the tourism and related sectors carrying out investments in the following voivodeships: Lubelskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Świętokrzyskie, Warmińsko-Mazurskie and the Mazowiecki Regional Region. The standard interest rate is 2%, and for companies operating for less than 3 years or carrying out investments complementary to FEPW tourism products it is reduced to 1%.
Loan for the Reconstruction of Ukraine
A national BGK programme available to Polish companies regardless of sector and size. The maximum loan amount is PLN 10 million, the interest rate is 2%, and the repayment period is up to 10 years. Special preferences are provided for the medical sector and for entities with experience of cooperating with Ukrainian business partners.
Self-employment Loan
An instrument dedicated to people starting a business. The interest rate is only 0,25% per annum, and the principal may be partially written off (up to 50% of the loan value) once the condition of running the business for at least 12 months has been met.
Full list of EU loans – where to look for the current offer
The catalogue of loan instruments is extensive and varies by region – each voivodeship launches its own programmes under the regional European Funds 2021–2027, and the detailed parameters are set by the Financing Partner selected by BGK.
For this reason, the first step in selecting an instrument should be to determine the voivodeship in which the investment will be implemented.
Up-to-date lists of EU loans available in individual regions can be found on the official website of Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (bgk.pl) and on dedicated information portals. For entrepreneurs planning investments, we recommend using the search engine at: EU loan for the Lubelskie Voivodeship.
On websites of this type, you will find both product parameters and contact details of the regional Financing Partners to which applications are submitted.
Not only grants – EU loans are worth considering as a complement to your financing strategy
Many entrepreneurs treat non-repayable grants as the only tool for financing development from European funds. In practice, a company’s optimal financial strategy usually combines both types of instruments: grants where open calls matching the project profile are available, and EU loans where implementation time matters or where the project does not qualify for non-repayable support.
Key situations in which an EU loan is a more effective choice than a grant:
- the need for quick financing without the risk of waiting for the results of a competition,
- a typical investment (purchase of machinery, expansion, modernisation) that does not fit the narrow criteria of grant competitions,
- a project that does not exceed the minimum thresholds required in grant programmes (often PLN 2–10 million of eligible costs),
- financing of complementary investments – e.g. supplementing a grant with a preferential loan for elements not covered by reimbursement.
It is also worth emphasising that EU loans can be combined with other forms of support, subject to the prohibition of double financing of the same expenditure and to the de minimis aid limits (currently EUR 300,000 over the current and two previous tax years).
How we can help you prepare your application
The dotacje-online.pl team specialises in comprehensive advice on financing from European Union funds. As part of our cooperation, we offer:
- eligibility analysis of the undertaking and selection of the optimal instrument (grant, preferential loan, combined instrument);
- verification of de minimis aid limits and of the project’s compliance with regional criteria (RIS, OSI areas);
- preparation of full application documentation – the loan application, business plan, financial forecasts and annexes required by the Financing Partner;
- support during the application process – contact with the regional operator, supplementing documentation, answering questions arising from the assessment;
- advice on combining loans with grants – where the client’s project allows both types of support to be used within a compliant financing structure.
If you are planning an investment that requires external financing, please get in touch. We will carry out an eligibility analysis and propose the most advantageous support option tailored to your business profile and the location of the investment.
Contact us for a free assessment of the financing options for your investment. We will carry out an eligibility analysis and prepare a recommendation together with an action schedule.Contact us
Author: Dariusz Kozakiewicz
EU funding expert