The new Agricultural Business Fund is creating new financing opportunities for farmers, producers and businesses in the agri-food sector, with total public resources of €160 million.
The process of activating the first financing instrument has already begun, with the aim of providing loans of around €250 million on more favourable financing terms.
The first instrument provides, among other things, investment loans of up to €3.5 million, a guarantee of up to 70% and an interest subsidy of up to 4% for up to 4 years.
Who can be financed
The Agricultural Business Fund is addressed to the wider agri-food chain and covers both primary agricultural production and the processing and marketing of agricultural products, in accordance with the programme’s more specific eligibility conditions.
The aim is to facilitate access to finance both for existing and newly established agri-food businesses, for carrying out investments as well as for covering working capital needs.
Loans of up to €3.5 million – What are the terms
The first instrument to be activated is the Agri-food Sector Guarantee Fund, with public resources of €80 million and an estimated portfolio of guaranteed loans of around €251.73 million.
The following are предусмотрed:
Investment loans: from €25,000 to €3,500,000, with a duration from 2 to 15 years.
Working capital loans: from €25,000 to €500,000, with a duration from 2 to 5 years.
Guarantee: 70% per eligible loan.
Interest subsidy: up to 4% for a period of up to 4 years.
Advisory support: from €800 to €1,600, depending on the amount of financing.
Particularly important is the fact that businesses receiving a guaranteed loan will not be charged a guarantee fee.
Up to €1,600 for advisory support
The envisaged advisory support is determined according to the amount of the loan:
€800 for financing up to €50,000 €1,000 for financing from €50,000.01 to €150,000 €1,200 for financing from €150,000.01 to €500,000 €1,400 for financing from €500,000.01 to €1,000,000 €1,600 for financing from €1,000,000.01 to €3,500,000.
The support may concern critical stages of financing, such as the preparation of the business plan (Business Plan), the submission of the financing application via the Information System for State Aid (OPSKE), the management of the required supporting documents and the preparation of the file for the credit institution.
How to apply
According to the official call, the procedure for the interested party is expected to include specific stages.
Initially, the applicant will complete their business details and upload the Business Plan on the KYC platform of the Hellenic Development Bank, selecting the credit institutions to which they wish to apply.
This will be followed by a check of specific eligibility criteria, such as tax and social security compliance and records with the credit bureau system (Tiresias).
After initial acceptance by a credit institution, the interested party will receive a unique code and will proceed with the submission of the financing application to the Information System for State Aid (OPSKE).
The application and the required supporting file will then be submitted to the credit institution, which will carry out the final assessment.
The prerequisites also include the completion of questionnaires concerning ESG criteria and the business’s environmental footprint.
The final credit assessment and financing decision will be made by the respective partner credit institution.
When do applications for farmers and businesses start
On 31 August 2026, the Hellenic Development Bank published the call to financial institutions wishing to participate in the Fund.
The deadline for expressions of interest for credit institutions is 25 September 2026 at 13:00.
Therefore, applications from farmers, producers and agri-food businesses have not yet started. They are expected to begin after the completion of the selection process for the partner credit institutions, within autumn 2026.
The eligibility period for the financing instrument runs until 30 September 2029, or until the available resources are fully utilised.
Financing also for the own contribution of investment programmes
Another important possibility is the combination of the financing instruments with investment programmes of the CAP Strategic Plan 2023–2027, such as Improvement Plans and Agricultural Processing programmes.
In this way, the financing can be used to cover the own contribution in investment projects, in accordance with the terms and conditions of each measure.
Two more financing instruments are coming
The Agricultural Business Fund includes a total of three financing instruments.
The Agricultural Business Small Loans Fund II provides for a loan portfolio of €95 million and financing from €10,000 to €50,000 for investments and/or working capital. 50% of the loan will be interest-free, while for the remaining 50% full interest subsidy is provided for two years.
At the same time, the Young Farmers Guarantee Fund is addressed to new farmers up to 40 years of age. It provides for investment loans from €10,000 to €50,000, an 80% guarantee and the possibility of non-repayable support of up to €40,000, with the total combined support being able to reach up to €90,000 per beneficiary.
The relevant calls are expected to follow.
AFS undertakes the preparation of your application
Proper preparation before the start of applications can be decisive for the smooth progress of the financing process.
AFS can undertake the assessment of your case and support the financing process, from the preparation of the business plan and the required file to the submission of the application, in accordance with the programme’s terms.
Contact AFS:
📞 210 8317 702 ✉️ info@afs.gr
Alternatively, complete the expression of interest form below with your details and a specialised AFS consultant will contact you to examine your financing needs and the possibilities of your inclusion in the new Agricultural Business Fund.
