Guarantees for the Economy, the Liberal Professions, and Agriculture and Forestry

The funding program “Guarantees for the Economy, the Liberal Professions, and Agriculture and Forestry” of the Ministry of Finance of North Rhine-Westphalia supports companies, start-ups, freelancers, as well as agricultural and forestry enterprises in securing their financing. By assuming guarantees for bank loans, up to 80% of the credit risk is covered to enable financing projects even when sufficient collateral is lacking. With a minimum guarantee amount of EUR 1.25 million and no upper limit, the state guarantee provides stability in corporate financing, confidential processing, and partly more favorable conditions through lower interest rates. Combining this with other funding programs is possible, thereby creating individual financing solutions for investments in expansion, digitalization, or operating resources.

The funding is aimed at commercial enterprises of any legal form, self-employed professionals, natural persons with income from agriculture and forestry, as well as key stakeholders planning a company participation. Prerequisites include the absence of sufficient collateral and the co-signing of the loan application by an EU-based credit institution. The application process runs year-round through PricewaterhouseCoopers GmbH, which acts as the state’s mandatary and conducts the technical review. Essential evaluation criteria are the economic viability of the project, an appropriate risk participation by all parties, and compliance with state aid regulations. To submit an application, a completed application form and the documents listed in the information sheet must be attached. With this offer, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia makes a decisive contribution to securing and strengthening the growth potential of the regional economy.