OCDE - Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs 2026 - República Eslovaca de 2026

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FINANCING SMES AND ENTREPRENEURS 2026: SLOVAK REPUBLIC © OECD 2026

Key facts on SME financing The Slovak Republic maintained economic growth close to 2% in 2024. SMEs dominate the Slovak economy, accounting for 99.6% of the business population with at least one employee. The number of SMEs did not change significantly compared to 2023. The majority of SMEs (90.6%) were microenterprises in 2024, employing up to nine people. Outstanding business loans to SMEs grew annually from 2013 to 2023, but in 2024 they declined by 3.9% year-on-year, from EUR 20 358 million to EUR 19 573 million. Long-term loans accounted for 60.6% of total outstanding SME loans, while short-term loans made up the remaining 39.4%. New business loans to SMEs also recorded a decline, falling by 3.0% year-on-year, from EUR 6 299 million in 2023 to EUR 6 111 million in 2024. This development is consistent with the overall drop in outstanding business loans, mainly driven by lower demand from businesses, high interest rates, and an uncertain economic outlook in the domestic economy and among Slovakia’s main trading partners. The share of non-performing SME loans remained higher (3.7%) than the overall share of non-performing loans (2.92%), but decreased by 0.6 percentage points year-on-year, indicating a positive trend. Following the ECB’s rate hikes, SME loan rates rose from 2.9% in 2022 to 5.4% in 2023, before reaching 5.8% in 2024. Interest rates remain significantly higher than they wer e before the period of key interest rate increases, which continues to have a substantial impact on businesses' appetite for bank financing. This upward trend in interest rates was reflected in a slight decline in the volume of the new business SME loans.

5.8% in 2024. Interest rates remain significantly higher than they wer e before the period of key interest rate increases, which continues to have a substantial impact on businesses' appetite for bank financing. This upward trend in interest rates was reflected in a slight decline in the volume of the new business SME loans. The average businessto-business (B2B) payment delay in Slovakia reached 13 days, representing an improvement of 2 days compared to the previous year. This is among the lowest levels in the long-term series, reflecting an improvement in overall payment discipline. The volume of SME government loan guarantees fell sharply from EUR 182 million in 2023 to EUR 21 million in 2024, mainly due to the closure previous programmes at the end of the structura l funds programming period. The total volume of SME government direct loans provided by the state banks and the Slovak Business Agency remained unchanged year-on-year, at EUR 182 million.

Slovak Republic2 

FINANCING SMES AND ENTREPRENEURS 2026: SLOVAK REPUBLIC © OECD 2026

Table 1. Scoreboard for the Slovak Republic Indicator Unit 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Debt Outstanding business loans, SMEs EUR billion 9.1 12.1 12 12 10.6 11 10.7 11.9 13.2 13.5 14.6 15.1 15.3 16.2 17.3 19.5 20.4 19.6

Outstanding business loans, total EUR billion 13.9 15.7 15.2 15.2 16.1 15.5 15.1 14.8 16.1 16.9 18.1 18.9 19.6 20.0 20.8 23.3 23.8 23.4 Share of SME outstanding loans % of total outstanding business loans 65.7 77.12 79.39 79.39 65.77 71.11 71.07 80.22 81.7 79.81 80.46 79.81 77.77 80.95 83.42 83.95 85.67 83.8 New business lending, total EUR billion 8.49 9.44 7.56 9.12 10.69 11.69 11.88 12.5 11.78 8.67 9.50 10.72 9.31 11.26 11.12 13.26 11.75 11.60 New business lending, SMEs EUR billion

2.36 2.63 2.6 3.09 3.13 3.17 3.46 3.22 4.20 4.34 5.72 6.30 6.11 Share of new SME lending % of total new lending

20.2 22.16 20.83 26.2 36.14 33.37 32.29 34.54 37.30 39.02 43.13 53.6 52.7 Outstanding short-term loans, SMEs EUR million 4 609 4 797 4 981 4 987 4 188 4 481 4 532 5 385 5 766 5 394 5 695 5 683 5 926 6 547 6 445 7 451 7 692 7 716

Outstanding long-term loans, SMEs EUR million 4 527 7 295 7 051 7 059 6 412 6 557 6 202 6 517 7 404 8 129 8 832 9 437 9 329 9 661 10 899 12 132 12 666 11 857 Share of short-term SME lending % of total SME lending 50.45 39.67 41.4 41.4 39.51 40.6 42.22 45.24 43.78 39.89 39.21 37.59 38.84 40.39 37.16 38.05 37.8 39.4 Government loan guarantees, SMEs EUR million 82 99 81 70 84 87 38 26 60 46 32 39 32 407 294 95 182 21 Government guaranteed loans, SMEs EUR million 115 157 143 139 167 136 157 186 244 184 88 145 153 774 553 361 475 127 Direct government loans, SMEs EUR million 117 160 139 146 168 209 152 159 172 177 120 132 204 245 213 186 182 182 Non-performing loans, total % of all business loans

6.8 8.4 8.3 7.9 8.3 8.6 7.4 6.5 5 4.12 3.70 3.44 3.16 2.73 2.98 2.92 Non-performing loans, SME % of all SME loans

10.4 9.9 10.3 9 8.1 6.65 5.68 4.55 4.60 3.86 3.21 4.27 3.7

Non-performing loans, SME % of all SME loans

10.4 9.9 10.3 9 8.1 6.65 5.68 4.55 4.60 3.86 3.21 4.27 3.7 Interest rate, SMEs % 5.5 4.6 3 3.2 3.2 3.8 3.6 3.8 3.4 3.1 3.0 3.0 2.9 2.6 2.4 2.92 5.40 5.8 Collateral, SMEs % of SMEs needing collateral to obtain bank lending 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 Percentage of SME loan applications SME loan applications/ total number of SMEs

17

16

23 18 22 17 22 28 23 21 22 11 Rejection rate 1-(SME loans authorised/ requested)

20

15

13 5 13 10 12 8 26 11 4 3 Non-bank finance Venture and growth capital EUR million 7 8 14.4 11.4 11.5 7 9 9 12.7 17.1 2.9 5.4 30,65 37.85 28.06 36.05 52.64 34.74 Venture and growth capital (growth rate) %, Year-on-year growth rate

14.3 80 -20.8 0.9 -39.1 28.6 -0.3 41.7 34.4 -83 85.57 467.6 23.49 -25.9 28.47 44.60 -34.00 Other indicators

14.3 80 -20.8 0.9 -39.1 28.6 -0.3 41.7 34.4 -83 85.57 467.6 23.49 -25.9 28.47 44.60 -34.00 Other indicators Payment delays, B2B Number of days 20 8 13 17 20 21 19 17 4 2 6 0 2 14 13 12 15 13 Bankruptcies, SMEs Number 169 251 276 344 363 339 377 409 350 273 285 252 241 177 268 290 310 319 Bankruptcies, SMEs (growth rate) %, Year-on-year growth rate

48.5 10 24.6 5.5 -6.6 11.2 8.5 -14.4 -22 4.4 -11.6 -4.37 -26.6 51.41 8.21 6.9 2.9 3

FINANCING SMES AND ENTREPRENEURS 2026: SLOVAK REPUBLIC © OECD 2026

Macroeconomic and financing conditions Slovakia's gross domestic product (GDP) recorded a 2.1% increase in 2024, according to preliminary data from the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. The 2024 growth was sligh tly lower compared to 2023, when GDP increased by 2.2%. The development was supported by both domestic and foreign demand. Final consumption grew by 3.1%, mainly due to a 3.0% rise in household consumption and a 3.7% increase in government spending. Gross capital formation rose by 6.8%, while gross fixed c apital formation increased by 1.8%. In 2024, Slovakia’s exports of goods and services increased slightly by 0.3%, reaching a total v alue of EUR 111 629.5 million. Imports of goods and services grew more significantly, by 2.3%, amounting to EUR

increased by 1.8%. In 2024, Slovakia’s exports of goods and services increased slightly by 0.3%, reaching a total v alue of EUR 111 629.5 million. Imports of goods and services grew more significantly, by 2.3%, amounting to EUR 111 365.42 million. In 2024, the banking sector in Slovakia remained stable in relation to lending to the business sector, maintaining an adequate capacity to finance the economy. According to the NBS, bank s did not significantly tighten their lending standards or substantially restrict lend ing to businesses. Demand for loans from businesses was mainly affected by high interest rates and uncertainty reg arding economic developments. Banks showed sufficient liquidity and capital adequacy, which enabl ed them to continue lending to businesses without significant constraints. SMEs in the national economy In 2024, SMEs dominate the Slovak economy, accounting for 99.6% of the business popul ation with at least one employee. The number of SMEs did not change significantly compared to 2023. The majority of SMEs (90.6%) were micro-enterprises in 2024, employing up to nine people. Small enterprises represented 8.0% of all firms, and 1.6% were medium-sized enterprises. Almost 9 out of 10 SMEs (87.4%) were legal entities, while nearly 13.0% were self-employed entrepreneurs . More than half of SMEs with one employee operate in the services sector. Other significant sectors include trade (20.0%), industry (13.1%), and construction (10.0%). In 2024, SMEs remained a key pillar of the business economy, accounting for 74.9% of total employment in the sector. Compared to 2023, this share remained relatively stable, indicati ng the continued structural importance of SMEs in providing jobs. In addition to their employment role, SMEs also contributed to more than half of the value added generated in the non-financial business sector. According to preliminary data from the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republi c, SMEs exported goods

importance of SMEs in providing jobs. In addition to their employment role, SMEs also contributed to more than half of the value added generated in the non-financial business sector. According to preliminary data from the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republi c, SMEs exported goods worth EUR 24 125.5 million in 2024, which was 1.3% more than in 2023. The share of SMEs in total exports reached 29.1%. The territorial structure of exports by SMEs in Slovakia has l ong been characterised by the dominance of the EU single market. In 2024, exports to EU member states acc ounted for 86.3% of total SME exports.4 

FINANCING SMES AND ENTREPRENEURS 2026: SLOVAK REPUBLIC © OECD 2026

Table 2. Distribution of firms in the Slovak Republic, 2024 Firm size (employees) Number % All firms (with minimum of 1 employee) 168 330 100

SMEs (1-249) 167 666 99.6

Micro (1-9) 151 601 90.6 Small (10-49) 13 386 8.0 Medium (50-249) 2 679 1.6 Large (250+) 664 0.4

Note: Data include enterprises and self-entrepreneurs.

Source: Register of Organisations of the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic.

SME lending The majority of the data on outstanding business loans to SMEs originates from the Tax Authority database, which collects companies’ financial statements. The data from the Tax Auth ority database is processed according to firm size (as measured by the number of employees in a firm) an d annual turnover/balance sheet. This database excludes loan data for self-employed persons. The current figures for SME loans were calculated by aggregating sub-totals for legal persons/enterprises from the financial statements database. Data regarding self-employed entrepreneurs are derived from the National Bank statistics (Outstanding business loans, SMEs in Table 1).1

The current figures for SME loans were calculated by aggregating sub-totals for legal persons/enterprises from the financial statements database. Data regarding self-employed entrepreneurs are derived from the National Bank statistics (Outstanding business loans, SMEs in Table 1).1 The amount of outstanding business loans (Outstanding business loans, SMEs in Table 1) had been growing annually from 2013 to 2023. However, in 2024, the volume slightly decreased year-on-year by 3.9%, from EUR 20 358 million in 2023 to EUR 19 573 million in 2024. This development is in line with the year-on-year decrease in outstanding business loans for all enterprises. Long-term loan s accounted for 60.6% of total outstanding SME loans (EUR 11 857 million), while short-term loans made up the remaining 39.4% (EUR 7 716 million).The volume of new business loans declined slightly c ompared to the previous year. Total amount of new business loans fell from EUR 11 752 million in 2023 to EUR 11 604 million in

2024. A similar trend was observed among SMEs, where new lending decreased by 3.0%. 2 This development is consistent with the overall decline in the stock of outstanding busines s loans. The decline in bank loan utilisation was mainly driven by lower demand from businesses, hi gh interest rates, and the persistently uncertain outlook for the domestic economy as well as the economies of Slovakia’s main trading partners.

Credit conditions Since 2012, credit conditions remained favourable, supported by historic ally low interest rates and a growing volume of new SME loans until recent years. Interest rates on SME loans declined from 3.8% in 2012 to 2.4% in 2021, improving access to finance for many SMEs. However, following the E uropean Central Bank’s decision to raise key interest rates in response to infl ation, the interest rate on SME loans

2012 to 2.4% in 2021, improving access to finance for many SMEs. However, following the E uropean Central Bank’s decision to raise key interest rates in response to infl ation, the interest rate on SME loans increased to 2.9% in 2022, and continued to rise further, to 5.4% in 2023 and 5.8% in 2024. Interest rates remain significantly higher than they were before the period of key interest rate increases, which continues to have a substantial impact on businesses' appetite for bank financing. This upward trend in interest rates was reflected in a slight decline in the volume of the new business SME loans. With regard to the development of interest rates in 2024, the second half of the y ear was marked by a gradual decline in SME lending rates, which could stimulate future demand for loa ns among SMEs. This trend appears to have continued into 2025, with lending rates stabilising at lower levels. 5

FINANCING SMES AND ENTREPRENEURS 2026: SLOVAK REPUBLIC © OECD 2026

Alternative sources of SME financing Venture capital investments in Slovak SMEs amounted to EUR 34.74 million, repr esenting a decrease of 34% compared to the record level observed in 2023. The most significant decline occurred in the seed stage, where investments dropped sharply from EUR 20.63 million to EUR 3.00 million. On the other hand, startup investments increased to EUR 9.77 million. The development stage represented the dominant share (63.2%) of total venture capital activity in 2024. Table 3. Venture capital investments in SMEs in the Slovak Republic 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

Table 3. Venture capital investments in SMEs in the Slovak Republic 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Seed 0.22 3.85 2.10 0.06 0.87 1.19 0.06 1.2 1.69 4.45 0.20 0.00 1.08 9.73 21.17 20.84 20.63 3.00 Start-up 0.05 0.45 3.90 10.90 4.80 0.20 0.00 1.72 5.65 9.63 1.30 0.40 1.96 4.34 0.00 1.33 0.10 9.77 Development 6.77 3.69 8.37 0.46 5.80 5.59 8.93 6.05 3.50 3.00 1.50 5.00 27.61 23.79 6.89 13.88 31.91 21.98 Total 7.04 7.99 14.37 11.42 11.47 6.98 8.99 8.97 10.84 17.08 2.91 5.40 30.65 37.85 28.06 36.05 52.64 34.74

Source: Reports on the state of SMEs in the Slovak Republic, Slovak Investment Holding, a. s., National Holding Fund, s.r.o.

According to the 2024 EU Survey on Access to Finance, credit lines, bank overdrafts or credit card overdrafts were considered the most relevant source of financing by 58.4% of Slovak S MEs. Leasing or hire-purchase arrangements were viewed as relevant by 55.7% of SMEs. By comparison, almost half

overdrafts were considered the most relevant source of financing by 58.4% of Slovak S MEs. Leasing or hire-purchase arrangements were viewed as relevant by 55.7% of SMEs. By comparison, almost half (47.8%) of SMEs consider bank loans to be a relevant source of financing. Gra nts and subsidised bank loans remained largely irrelevant, with 66.2% of SMEs stating they were not relevant. Likewise, equity capital and factoring were considered not relevant by the vast majority of S MEs, 72.9% and 8 9.5%, respectively. Between 2023 and 2024, Slovak SMEs reported a slight increase in the perceived relevance of the most common financing instruments. In terms of actual use of financing instruments over the reference period, 32.1% of Slovak SME s used credit lines, bank overdrafts, or credit card overdrafts. Leasing or hire-purchase was us ed by 16.2%, and trade credit by 14.6% of SMEs. Despite this, 47.8% of Slovak SMEs identified bank loans as their preferred form of external financing to support business growth, only 10.5 % SMEs used bank loans over the reference period. Other sources of financing, such as business angel investments and crowdfunding continue to remain marginal in their utility for financing Slovak SMEs. Other indicators The average businessto-business (B2B) payment delay in Slovakia reached 13 days, representing an improvement of 2 days compared to the previous year. Despite fluctuations in recent y ears, the current result represents one of the lowest levels recorded in the long-term time series, indic ating a notable improvement in the overall payment discipline of enterprises. The share of non-performing SME loans remained higher (3.7%) than the overall share of non-performing loans (2.92%). Compared to the previous year, the share of non-performing SME loans decrease d by 0.6 percentage points, indicating a positive development. At the same time, the overall share of non-performing

loans (2.92%). Compared to the previous year, the share of non-performing SME loans decrease d by 0.6 percentage points, indicating a positive development. At the same time, the overall share of non-performing loans also declined, although the decrease was only slight, by 0.1 percentage points. The number of SME bankruptcies increased by 2.9% year-on-year in 2024, reaching a total of 319 cases. This is the highest figure recorded since 2014. The recent upward trend in insolvency cases may reflect to6 

FINANCING SMES AND ENTREPRENEURS 2026: SLOVAK REPUBLIC © OECD 2026

the declining performance of Slovak companies and indicates a persistently cha llenging business environment in Slovakia. Government policy response The government continues to implement a range of policies aimed at improving SMEs’ access to finance. Primarily, these consist of loan and guarantee provisions to SMEs by specialised state banks (The Slovak Guarantee and Development Bank and Eximbank SR) the Slovak Business Agency and Slovak Investment Holding, a. s (SIH). The total volume of SME government loan guarantees declined significantly from EUR 182 million in 2023 to just EUR 21 million in 2024. This significant decrease was mainly caus ed by the conclusion of SIH guarantee programmes at the end of 2023, in line with the conclusion of the implementation of the previous programming period. As a result of the decrease in bank guarantees, there was also a significant decrease in the volume of guaranteed loans, from EUR 475 million in 2023 to EUR 127 million in 2024. The total volume of SME government direct loans provided by the state banks and the Slovak Business Agency remained unchanged year-on-year, staying at the level of EUR 182 million. The Slovak Guarantee and Development Bank The Slovak Guarantee and Development Bank (SGDB) continued to support SMEs by provi ding credits, bank guarantees, deposit products, and electronic banking. In 2024, the bank a pproved 551 direct loans

The Slovak Guarantee and Development Bank The Slovak Guarantee and Development Bank (SGDB) continued to support SMEs by provi ding credits, bank guarantees, deposit products, and electronic banking. In 2024, the bank a pproved 551 direct loans for SMEs, with the average loan amount reaching EUR 197.98 thousand. The total volume of provided direct loans amounted to EUR 127.18 million, representing a yearon-year increase of 11.4%. At the same time, the bank approved 40 guarantees. The total volume of issued guarantees reached EUR 12.03 million, with the average guarantee amounting to EUR 300.87 thousand. The Export-Import Bank of Slovak Republic The goal of Eximbank SR, which acts as the state financial intermediary for facilitating exports, is to increase exporting SMEs’ access to direct loans , export guarantees and insurance. They also aim to enhance the finalisation of export contracts for enterprises with lower financial ratings. The actual loan disbursement in 2024 amounted to EUR 54 508 thousand. A total of 142 SMEs were supported by Eximbank SR. Compared to 2023, loan disbursements to SMEs slightly decreased. The bank guarantees provided for the SME segment amounted to EUR 8 752 thousand. Slovak Business Agency Micro-credit programme Slovak Business Agency finances SMEs through a micro-credit programme. It focuses on microenterprises, small enterprises, and startups, the most ‘unbankable’ categories of SMEs. This scheme provides SMEs with loans ranging between EUR 2.5 thousand and EUR 50 thousan d to acquire tangible and intangible investment assets, reconstruct operating premises, and acquire necessary s tocks of raw materials and goods. Since the re-launch of the micro-credit programme, the S BA has lent EUR 48.5 million to SMEs. In 2024, 29 SMEs benefited from microcredits and totalling EUR 583 thousand. Compared to 2023, the number of SMEs supported and the total volume of credits provided to SMEs decr eased. 7

million to SMEs. In 2024, 29 SMEs benefited from microcredits and totalling EUR 583 thousand. Compared to 2023, the number of SMEs supported and the total volume of credits provided to SMEs decr eased. 7

FINANCING SMES AND ENTREPRENEURS 2026: SLOVAK REPUBLIC © OECD 2026

Risk capital programme The programme provides equity or quasi-equity investment to start-ups and SMEs wishing to ext end their business through development projects or acquisitions by providing venture capital through a specialised subsidiary company, the National Holding Fund, s.r.o. The long-term mission of the fund is the ma naging of activities of the individual funds to stimulate the development of the SME sector in the whole territory of the Slovak Republic, to increase the amount of financial resources of individual fun ds, and to use profits made to implement the long-term goal of supporting SMEs. In 2024, 5 new investments were made by Eterus Capita fund amounting to a total inves tment value of EUR 4.6 million. The volume of total investments made through the National Holding Fund decreased by 36.5% yearon-year. The decline was driven by a lower number of made investments as well as th e absence of any investments by the Innovation and Technology Fund, a.s. in 2024. The Innovation and Technology Fund, a.s. did not make any new investment, as none of the evaluated projects fully met the investment criteria. The fund’s investment activity was also affected by the planned end of its inves tment period in March 2025. The total value of realised investments since the start of the programme is EUR 95.2 million, which has been used to support 104 SMEs. Slovak Investment Holding, a. s. Slovak Investment Holding, a. s. (SIH) is a joint stock company 100% owned by the Slovak Republic through the Ministry of Finance of the SR. Its main objective is to support public and private investments

been used to support 104 SMEs. Slovak Investment Holding, a. s. Slovak Investment Holding, a. s. (SIH) is a joint stock company 100% owned by the Slovak Republic through the Ministry of Finance of the SR. Its main objective is to support public and private investments in strategic sectors of the Slovak economy. SIH manages a range of financial instr uments co-financed by EU and national resources. In 2024, SIH provided support to SMEs through venture capital in the total amount of EUR 30.169 million, with 22 SMEs supported. For the 2021–2027 programming period, SIH established the National Development Fund III., s. r. o. (NDF III.) to manage EU funds allocated for financial instruments. Through this structure, SIH will implement financial instruments aimed at supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), both directly in the case of venture capital investments and indirectly through financial intermediaries. As its first financial instrument, SIH (as the manager of NDF III.) has prepared a guarantee instrument to support SME s and other selected priorities. This portfolio guarantee is intended to support investments primarily by SMEs.8 

FINANCING SMES AND ENTREPRENEURS 2026: SLOVAK REPUBLIC © OECD 2026

Figure 1. Trends in SME and entrepreneurship finance in the Slovak Republic

Source: See Table 4.

0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000

A. SME and total business loans Annual, in EUR million Business loans, SMEs Business loans, total

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

E. Venture capital invested in SMEs Annual, in EUR million Venture capital

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450

F. Bankruptcies Annual, total Bankruptcies, total

0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000

B. SME short and long-term business loans Annual, in EUR million Short-term loans, SMEs Long-term loans, SMEs

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

C. SME interest rate Annual, as a percentage

Interest rate, SMEs 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450

D. Government loan guarantees to SMEs Annual, in EUR million Government loan guarantees, SMEs 9

FINANCING SMES AND ENTREPRENEURS 2026: SLOVAK REPUBLIC © OECD 2026

Table 4. Sources and definitions of the Slovak Republic’ Scoreboard Indicator Definition Source Debt Outstanding business loans, SMEs Bank and financial institution loans to SMEs, amount outstanding at the end of period Tax Authority/financial statements (balance sheets) database for legal persons/enterprises, National Bank of Slovakia for natural persons – entrepreneurs Outstanding business loans, total Bank and financial institution business loans to all non-financial enterprises, including natural persons – entrepreneurs, stocks. National Bank of Slovakia New business lending, total New bank and financial institution business loans to all nonfinancial enterprises, including natural persons – entrepreneurs. National Bank of Slovakia New business lending, SMEs New bank and financial institution business loans to SMEs, including natural persons – entrepreneurs. National Bank of Slovakia. The EU definition of SMEs is not fully applied. Outstanding short-term loans, SMEs Loans equal to or less than one year by firm size using the national definition of SME (enterprises with less than 250 employees, including natural persons – entrepreneurs) Tax Authority/financial statements (balance sheets) database for legal persons/enterprises, National Bank of

SMEs Loans equal to or less than one year by firm size using the national definition of SME (enterprises with less than 250 employees, including natural persons – entrepreneurs) Tax Authority/financial statements (balance sheets) database for legal persons/enterprises, National Bank of Slovakia for natural persons – entrepreneurs Outstanding long-term loans, SMEs Loans more than one year by firm size using the national definition of SME (enterprises with less than 250 employees, including natural persons – entrepreneurs) Tax Authority/financial statements (balance sheets) database for legal persons/enterprises, National Bank of Slovakia for natural persons – entrepreneurs Government loan guarantees, SMEs Guarantees available to banks and financial institutions - new by firm size using the national definition of SME (enterprises with less than 250 employees, including natural persons - entrepreneurs) Annual reports on the state of SMEs in the Slovak Republic (Slovak Business Agency) Government guaranteed loans, SMEs Loans guaranteed by government or EU. SMEs defined following the EU definition (less than 250 employees and annual turnover below EUR 50 million and/ or balance sheet below EUR 43 million, Com Recommendation 2003/361/EC) Annual reports on the state of SMEs in the Slovak Republic (Slovak Business Agency) Direct government loans, SMEs Loans provided by specialised state banks (Slovak Guarantee and Development Bank and Eximbank) and Slovak Business Agency. Annual reports on the state of SMEs in the Slovak Republic (Slovak Business Agency) Non-performing loans, total Non-performing loans classified of all non-financial enterprises National Bank of Slovakia Non-performing loans, SMEs Non-performing SMEs loans classified National Bank of Slovakia. The EU definition of SMEs is not fully applied. Interest rate, SMEs Figures represent the general interest rate for all business for the period 2007-2011. Interest rate from 2012 represents the general

Non-performing loans, SMEs Non-performing SMEs loans classified National Bank of Slovakia. The EU definition of SMEs is not fully applied. Interest rate, SMEs Figures represent the general interest rate for all business for the period 2007-2011. Interest rate from 2012 represents the general interest rate for SMEs - non-financial enterprises (legal entities). National Bank of Slovakia. The EU definition of SMEs is not fully applied. Collateral, SMEs Figures relate to development loans, for working capital loans collateral is usually not requested. National Bank of Slovakia Percentage of SME loan applications The proportion of SMEs applied for bank loan in the past 6 months. European Commission: SMEs’ Access to Finance Survey, Survey on the access to finance of enterprises Rejection rate The proportion of SMEs applied for bank loan but was rejected. European Commission: SMEs’ Access to Finance Survey, Survey on the access to finance of enterprises Non-bank finance Venture and growth capital Actual amounts invested in SMEs: seed, start-up and development phase. SMEs defined following the EU definition (less than 250 employees and annual turnover below EUR 50 million and/ or balance sheet below EUR 43 million, based on Com Recommendation 2003/361/EC) Annual reports on the state of SMEs in the Slovak Republic (Slovak Business Agency). Other indicators Payment delays, B2B Average number of days delay beyond the contract period for Business to Business (B2B). European Payment Index, European payment report (Intrum Justitia) for the period 2008-2014 and for the period 2023-2024. EOS Survey 'European10 

FINANCING SMES AND ENTREPRENEURS 2026: SLOVAK REPUBLIC © OECD 2026

Payment Practices' 2015-2022 Bankruptcies, SMEs Number of declared