Jeremie ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) is a financial engineering product in the framework of the JEREMIE initiative. It is about co-funded low-interest loans intended for investments in Information and Communication Technologies. These loans shall be granted by Alpha Bank, the National Bank of Greece and Emporiki Bank based on banking criteria.
The interest rates of the loans are particularly attractive, and vary (starting from 2.5%) depending on the evaluation of the company which has submitted a business plan for funding purposes, the collateral offered and its own contribution. Enterprises to be financed via this product shall pay an interest rate only for 50% of the loan, which is equal to the bank's own participation. The remaining 50% of the loan shall derive on an INTEREST-FREE basis from the National Strategic Reference Framework 2007–2013/NSRF co-financed by Greece and the European Union - European Regional Development Fund.
JEREMIE ICT is intended for businesses & self-employed persons engaged in economic activities:
• in the field of Information and Communication Technologies, in order to receive funding to invest and develop/expand their activities by acquiring fixed assets, and covering their working capital needs for the special purpose of business development (business development loans)
• in all the remaining fields of economic activity – except for certain specific exemptions- to finance business plans which involve the creation and/or modernisation of Information and Communication Technologies.
which (enterprises)
- are and shall remain Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, regardless of their kind of operation (independent, cooperating or affiliated enterprise), without taking account of their operational time and not only early-stage businesses in terms of development and operation
- are considered to be potentially economically viable
- do not exceed the aid limit provided for by the De Minimis Rule “on de minimis aid"
- they have their registered office operating within the Greek territory.
Examples on how to make the best of the Programme:
A software development company can be funded in order to cover costs of software development and certification, products and services (wage costs, services from third parties), the supply or use of Information technology and Communications equipment and customization, costs linked to research and development, as well as to cover working capital needs for the special purpose of business development.
A furniture manufacturing company can receive funding, for example, to acquire equipment, systems and software, in the framework of Web Applications, e.g. product design, or integrated e-commerce services, within a specific business plan, as well as to modernise and upgrade its internal operations through management systems (timber harvesting, robot-assisted assembly of materials, etc) and to organise (Logistics, ERP, CRM, MIS, SCM, etc) its production line within its commercial cycle.
