SEF Sustainable Business

Responsible towards the environment, inclusive towards society and committed to responsible management – ESG

Green
business

Circular
business

Digital
business

Socially responsible business

SEF Sustainable Financing

Socially responsible business

General Information on SEF Sustainable Development

Sustainable development is a central orientation for the Slovene Enterprise Fund, both in its own operations and in promoting the entrepreneurial sector in Slovenia.

Our role in this is twofold:

as a public financial institution, we operate responsibly, transparently and sustainably, and strive to be a role model for responsible operation in the public sector;
we enable companies to access incentives that help them develop environmentally, socially and governance responsible business models.

ENVIRONMENT

Through sustainable resource management and reducing our own environmental footprint, we want to show that environmentally responsible practices are also important in organizations that support entrepreneurship. By digitizing processes, introducing energy-efficient solutions, reducing paper consumption, promoting sustainable mobility and incorporating circular economy criteria into procurement policies, we prove that green approaches are feasible and make sense in the long term.

We prove to companies with their own environmentally responsible practices that sustainability is not a cost, but an opportunity for greater efficiency, competitiveness and reputation.

S

SOCIETY (SOCIAL)

Caring for people and the community is an important part of our work. By creating a stimulating, inclusive and healthy working environment, we are building standards that we also transfer into our incentives for companies.

We cooperate with the local environment, the entrepreneurial support ecosystem and organizations that operate in the public interest, whereby we contribute to a more harmonious development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and the wider society through donations, volunteering and joint initiatives.

GOVERNANCE

Integrity, ethical conduct and transparency are at the core of our operations. We are establishing a comprehensive system of internal controls, regularly managing risks, implementing and updating the Integrity Plan and ensuring safe mechanisms for reporting irregularities.

As a public institution, we place great emphasis on transparency, as we believe that trust is created through clearly defined standards, responsible decision-making and open communication.

In doing so, we provide companies, business partners and the wider public with reliability and predictability – values that are key to the successful development of the entrepreneurial environment.

SEF Sustainable Financing

SEF Incentives for Sustainable Business Operations

We offer companies a wide range of financial and substantive incentives with which they can transform their business models into more sustainable, competitive and long-term viable ones. Our incentives enable companies to develop environmental innovations faster, introduce green and circular solutions, strengthen internal capacities and facilitate access to capital for responsible growth.

Ways to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the sustainable transition.

Financial incentives for sustainable development of companies

We offer companies that develop sustainable products or switch to circular business models a range of financial products, including:

Incentives for the start-up of innovative start-up companies (P2) – for the first steps in the development of innovative products and services, including those that contribute to environmental or social progress. Read more
Slovenian Technology Fund (STS) – equity financing for innovative companies that develop or introduce advances, often also sustainably oriented technologies. Read more
Guarantees for bank loans with interest rate subsidy (P1 Plus) – for easier and more favorable financing of investment projects, especially in the field of digitization, green technologies and circular economy. Read more
Special incentives for sustainable development – targeted support in the form of subsidies and/or loans in various development areas such as digital transformation, the wood processing industry, etc. Read more

Vouchers for strengthening sustainable competences

With vouchers, we enable companies to co-finance the services of external experts who help them introduce sustainable practices, develop innovations and increase competitiveness.

Supported activities include:

obtaining quality certificates, including environmental ones,
protection of intellectual property (patents, trademarks, designs) for green technologies and innovations,
participation in business delegations, where companies present sustainable solutions and establish international connections,
preparation of ESG reports (in preparation), which make it easier for companies to enter sustainably oriented supply chains,
prototyping (in preparation), which enables companies to develop first prototypes, test and validate new sustainable or innovative concepts.

Mentoring scheme and acceleration programs

We offer start-up and scale-up companies substantive support for the development of sustainable, scalable business models and faster expansion on the market. Within the framework of the so-called national start-up consortium and the DevelopmentPlus program, we carry out:

start-up events,
education and networking activities,
acceleration programs,
mentoring,
(expert) consulting.

ESG tool

Our ESG tool is also available to companies, a simple online tool that helps them assess their current level of sustainability and identify key areas for improvement. The tool is designed as a practical first step for companies that want to understand their environmental, social and governance impacts and start managing them systematically.

With the help of the ESG tool, companies can:

carry out a self-assessment of the environmental, social and governance aspects of business,
identify gaps and opportunities to strengthen sustainable practices, and
prepare a basic improvement plan that serves as a basis for further development or preparation of ESG reports.