Czech Republic launches loan guarantees for Ukraine recovery projects
The Czech Republic has opened a financial guarantee program for investment projects implemented directly in Ukraine. The state National Development Bank will be able to cover up to 80% of the loan, and financing for a single borrower can reach €39 million.
The new program is called Záruka Obnova Ukrajiny ("Ukraine Recovery Guarantee"). It was launched by the Czech National Development Bank (NRB) together with relevant government agencies as part of the European Ukraine Investment Framework.
The program is designed to finance investment projects on the territory of Ukraine. Guarantees should reduce risks for banks and make it easier for companies to obtain loans for rebuilding infrastructure, modernizing enterprises, and creating new production capacity.
The guarantee can cover up to 80% of the loan. The recipient must finance at least 20% of the project cost from their own funds.
Loans with a guarantee can range from €1 million to €39 million. One applicant may receive multiple guarantees, but the total amount of their loans must not exceed €39 million. After separate approval by the European Commission, the limit may be increased to €46.88 million.
The maximum guarantee term is 10 years. The loan can be obtained in euros, Czech korunas, or hryvnias, while the guarantee itself is provided in euros. No guarantee issuance fee is charged.
The funds should be used mainly for investment expenditures. Financing of working capital is also allowed, but its share in the investment loan cannot exceed 20%.
Priority areas of the program include energy and critical raw materials, transport and logistics, the agro-industrial sector, industry, green transition projects, as well as human capital and the social sphere.
Enterprises and other legal entities registered in Ukraine, special purpose project companies, and joint Ukrainian-European enterprises are eligible for support. Loans will be provided by Ukrainian partner banks of the program and the Czech Export Bank.
Applications are already open and will take place in several stages. The first deadline for reviewing submitted projects is November 11, 2026.
The launch of the financial instrument coincided with the preparation of a new Czech business mission to Ukraine. As iROZHLAS reports, Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček plans to visit Ukraine on November 10–12 together with a large business delegation.
Prague aims to more actively involve Czech companies in Ukraine's recovery, particularly in industry, energy, construction, and other sectors. The guarantee program is intended to solve one of the main problems of such projects — the high war risk, because of which banks are reluctant to lend for investments in Ukraine without additional collateral.
Sources: Czech National Development Bank, iROZHLAS
