A milestone for Slovenian companies: intellectual property can now be used as loan collateral

SLOVENIA, July 2 - New financing opportunities for innovative companies

SID Bank's four new financing programmes, with a total value of EUR 1 billion, provide companies with new financing opportunities. Intellectual property is now included among the eligible forms of loan collateral. The programmes support research and development projects, investments, financing of permanent working capital and the management of specific liquidity needs.

This represents an important development, particularly for innovative, technology-based and fast-growing companies. Their greatest value often lies in patents, trademarks, industrial designs, trade secrets and other intellectual assets rather than in real estate or other tangible assets. As a result, these companies have often faced greater challenges in obtaining financing. The possibility of using intellectual property as loan collateral opens up new opportunities to secure growth capital, accelerate business development and implement investment plans.

Developing Slovenia's IP-backed finance system

For several years, the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office has been systematically developing the fields of IP valuation and IP-backed finance. This is one of the key priorities of the National Intellectual Property Strategy 2030 and its Action Plan, which aim to create an environment in which companies can make better use of intellectual property as a strategic development, business and financial asset.

To achieve this, we bring together the business sector, the financial community, policymakers and international organisations. Together with our partners, we develop approaches to IP valuation, prepare expert guidance on the use of intellectual property in financing, organise international conferences, professional workshops and training programmes, and strengthen the support ecosystem that enables companies to manage and leverage their intangible assets more effectively.

In this work, we cooperate closely with the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, SID Bank, the European Commission, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), financial institutions, academia and the business community.

Slovenia among Europe's most active countries

Our work also makes a tangible contribution to shaping European solutions in this field. We actively participate in the Steering and Technical Working Groups on IP-backed finance established under the joint initiative of the European Commission and EUIPO. Together with EU Member States, financial institutions and experts, we are developing solutions that will facilitate companies' access to finance across Europe. We also cooperate regularly with intellectual property offices across Europe and beyond on this topic.

Slovenia contributes to the development of a common European framework for IP disclosure, harmonised approaches to IP valuation, the advancement of IP-backed finance and pilot projects aimed at putting these solutions into practice. Thanks to many years of systematic work in this area, Slovenia is now recognised as one of the most active EU Member States in the field of IP-backed finance.

Tangible Outcomes

The possibility of using intellectual property as loan collateral under SID Bank's new financing programmes represents one of the first tangible outcomes of these long-term efforts. For the first time in Slovenia, a financial instrument directly recognises intellectual property rights as eligible collateral for business financing.

This marks an important shift in the perception of intellectual property. It is no longer viewed solely as a legal tool for protecting innovation but is increasingly recognised as a strategic business and financial asset that enables companies to improve access to capital, accelerate growth and increase investment in research, development and innovation.

More detailed information on the financing programmes, eligibility criteria and application procedures (content in Slovenian language)  is available on SID Bank's website.