Frågor och svar

Almi’s loans are available to small and medium-sized businesses across all industries in Sweden. Your company should have up to 250 employees and either an annual turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million or total assets of no more than EUR 43 million.

To be eligible, you also need to show that your full capital needs can’t be met through other sources, such as a bank – and that your business idea has potential for development and profitability.

Learn more here

No – you can apply even if your company hasn’t been registered yet.

However, the business must be registered before a loan can be paid out.

No, Almi does not offer loans to private individuals. We only provide loans to businesses with up to 250 employees. The company does not need to be registered at the time of application, but it must be registered before an approved loan can be paid out.

Sometimes it’s easy to think that a loan is the answer to everything. But running a business is about so much more.

We know this because we meet thousands of entrepreneurs across Sweden every year. That’s why it’s important for us to understand your unique needs – and why we want to meet you, either in person or digitally, even when you’re applying for a loan.

Prepare the following before starting your application:

If your company has completed an annual financial statement, please include:

• the most recent annual accounts – even if they haven’t been audited
  current interim figures
• if the annual accounts are older than four months, both a profit and loss statement and a balance sheet

If your company does not yet have an annual financial statement, please include:

• a budget
• interim figures, if available

When submitting interim figures, please also include a comparison with the same period the previous year (profit and loss statement and balance sheet). This helps us understand how your business may have developed and speeds up the processing of your loan application.

You can read more about what to consider when applying for a loan.

No, you only need to submit one application. Together with an advisor from Almi, you’ll go through your company’s specific needs. Based on that discussion, several different loan products may be considered depending on what suits your situation best.

Your application is processed by your regional Almi office. The processing time is usually around 3–4 weeks, provided that the application is complete from the start.

The starting point is your ability to repay the loan. After reviewing your company’s current situation, there must be a reasonable likelihood that the loan can be repaid.

We take responsibility for our lending – the loan must match both your business needs and your repayment capacity.

To complete a loan application using our online services, you need a BankID, Mobile BankID, or an e-ID issued by Telia.

If your application is denied, it means that Almi is unable to grant you a loan. You cannot apply for a different type of loan from Almi and be approved instead.

Almi is committed to responsible and sound lending. As part of our advisory process, we take responsibility for ensuring that any credit offered matches both your needs and your ability to repay.

Please note that Almi’s decision to deny an application cannot be appealed.

Almi is a government-owned company with no profit motive, focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises. Our loans are designed to complement the market. This means we don’t compete with banks or private lenders – instead, we often collaborate with you and your bank.

Almi’s interest rate is based on the risk level of the loan. As a rule, our rates are around 2–3% higher than bank rates, since Almi typically provides the part of the financing that the bank is unwilling to cover.

Almi’s loans often serve as top-up loans, meaning we take on a higher level of risk – which is why our interest rates are above the average bank rate.

In many cases, a loan from Almi can be the key to securing a bank loan as well, by bridging the part the bank is not willing to finance.

The Green Loan is available to small and medium-sized businesses in Sweden. It is a financing product designed to support the green and sustainable transformation of the European economy.

To qualify, your green initiative must contribute to one or more of the six environmental objectives defined in the EU Taxonomy.

The Green Loan is backed by an InvestEU guarantee through the European Investment Fund. Each financing must meet one or more sustainability criteria defined by the European Commission. These criteria are directly linked to the six environmental objectives outlined in the EU Taxonomy.

The connection to the Taxonomy is important, as it serves as a tool for identifying environmentally sustainable investments. It helps ensure that your initiative aligns with the EU’s framework, and that Almi follows clear, relevant guidelines when determining what qualifies as a green investment.

State aid refers to support provided by national, regional or local authorities—such as the government, municipalities or counties—using public funds. This type of support is subject to the European Union’s state aid rules, which are in place to ensure that competition within the EU’s internal market is not distorted.

Examples of state aid include grants, loans with favourable terms, guarantees, subsidised rents, or reduced public fees and taxes.

Read more about state aid on the Swedish Government’s website (in Swedish)

If you have an innovative idea, we recommend getting in touch with us at Almi. Together with one of our experienced advisors, you’ll review your business idea to determine whether it may be eligible for Verification Funding.

If the idea qualifies, your advisor will guide you through the process and help you prepare the necessary documentation.

The available funding amount may vary depending on the region in which you operate.

Read more about Almi’s Verification Funding here.

We recommend reading our guide “Buying a Business” ("Köpa företag" - in Swedish), where you’ll find helpful tips and advice. Almi’s loans often complement bank loans. For smaller capital needs of up to SEK 250,000, we can finance the full amount.

For capital needs above SEK 250,000, co-financing is required – for example, through personal equity, a bank loan, or a private investor.

The exact level of co-financing depends on the risk level and is determined by the advisor handling your application.

No, refinancing is not part of Almi’s mission. Our loans are intended to support forward-looking investments.

No, the share capital is your own contribution as the owner. If you need to borrow for the share capital, you may consider taking a private loan. Almi only provides loans to businesses – not to private individuals.

Almi’s loans typically have a repayment period of 3 to 5 years, depending on what is being financed.

A personal guarantee is a form of security that Almi requires when the applicant is a limited company (AB).

It means that the owner – or another stakeholder in the company – signs a guarantee covering part of the loan amount.

If the company becomes insolvent and cannot repay the loan, Almi may require the guarantor to repay the agreed guaranteed amount.

The type of collateral required depends on the loan product. For Microloans, a limited personal guarantee of 10 percent is required.

For our Business Loan or Export Loan, a combination of a business mortgage and a limited personal guarantee is typically required.

Yes, we offer templates for both business plans and budgets. However, you’re not required to use our templates – your own or other formats work just as well.

Please note that the templates are currently available in Swedish only.

Almi’s loans often complement bank loans. For smaller capital needs of up to SEK 250,000, Almi may, in some cases, finance the full amount.

For larger capital needs, co-financing is required – for example through equity, a bank loan, or a private investor.

The exact amount of co-financing depends on the level of risk. On average, Almi finances around one third of the total capital need.

No, you’re not required to use our templates – your own or other formats work just as well.

If you’d like to use our budget template, you can find it here. Please note that the template is currently available in Swedish only.

No, unfortunately we don’t currently offer budget templates that are compatible with Google Sheets.

It's not possible to easily add more columns or years, as the templates contain built-in formulas and functions.

Instead, you can take the closing balance from one template and enter it as the opening balance in a new, blank template, and then continue working with the figures there.

Download our budget template here. Please note that the template is currently available in Swedish only.

The templates contain both unlocked and locked cells. The locked cells protect the built-in formulas and functions and cannot be changed.

However, you can make some changes in the unlocked cells, such as adding comments or editing certain headings.

Some cells in the templates are locked to protect the built-in formulas and functions. These cells are not meant to be edited. You can only enter information in the unlocked cells.

The easiest solution is to open a new, blank template. Copy the budgeted figures from your original file and paste them into the new template. This usually eliminates any reference errors.

In some cases, it’s safer to use “Paste as values” when pasting into the new template. Use the menu option Copy > Paste special > Paste as values. You’ll find a shortcut in the paste menu marked with the 123 icon.

Formula errors can occur if you cut a data entry cell and paste it into another entry cell. The same problem can happen if you move a cell using drag and drop.

SNI stands for “Swedish Standard Industrial Classification” and describes the type of business you conduct. You provided an SNI code when you registered your company. To find it, search for your company on allabolag.se.

The SNI code consists of 5 digits and can be found under the section “Verksamhet och status” (Business and status) once you’ve located your company.

You can only enter one SNI code in the loan application or customer due diligence form. If your company has multiple registered SNI codes, choose the one that best describes your main business activity.

If you haven’t started your company yet, you can read more about SNI codes on the website of Statistics Sweden (Statistiska centralbyrån).