Loans CHANGE

Loans CHANGE Grant Component

Funds Lithuanian industrial companies adding digitised production equipment, sustainable production technology, or technology-audit support through an ILTE loan-linked grant.

UAB ILTE administers Loans CHANGE as a financial instrument for Lithuanian industrial enterprises and SMEs, with EU co-financing behind a EUR 231.4 million allocation. The official page says the instrument is active and is focused on transforming Lithuania's economy by investing in industrial digitisation, transformation, and modernization of SMEs involved in short value chains.

The non-repayable element is tied to an approved ILTE loan rather than paid as a standalone grant. A borrower may request a grant in the loan application; ILTE says the grant may be up to 10% of the approved loan amount, or may cover technological audit and/or technological supervision services for digitisation activities. The maximum loan amount is EUR 10 million and the loan may cover up to 75% of eligible project costs, so applicants need private financing or their own resources for the remaining 25%.

Eligible applicants are industrial enterprises and SMEs operating in Lithuania. Funded projects include production process equipment with integrated digitisation technologies, innovative production technologies for sustainable products, and production investments that deploy modern technologies or modernise business processes. Capital Region projects must fit high-value-added industrial digitisation, while Mid-western Lithuania also includes industrial transformation and short value-chain modernization.

Applications go to ILTE through its online application system. The page states that loan agreements must be signed by 30 June 2029 and payouts made by 31 December 2029. Applicants should request the grant component inside the loan application, because ILTE says the grant decision is made simultaneously with the loan approval decision.