Commission supports Lithuania in facilitating SMEs access to financing

The European Commission has been providing support to Lithuania through the Structural Reform Support Programme to strengthen the functioning of the Lithuanian capital markets.
The result of the support project, a SME listing support instrument, which will facilitate access to capital market financing for Lithuanian SMEs, was presented today during an event in Vilnius. The project was implemented by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Under this new instrument, SMEs can apply for co-financing of up to 50% of their eligible pre-listing expenses, up to a certain threshold. Following approval, SMEs should issue equity or bond within 1(+1) year. 

Up to 20 SMEs are expected to participate in the instrument. The Structural Reform Support Programme offers expertise to all EU countries for the implementation of growth-enhancing reforms. The support is based on request and is tailor-made for the beneficiary Member State. Since 2017, the programme has been supporting close to 1000 reform projects in 27 Member States.