European Investment Bank Group financing in Slovakia rose 60% to €649 million in 2025, up from €405 million in 2024 and the highest level in five years.
The total included €495 million from the EIB and more than €154 million from the European Investment Fund (EIF), which focuses on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the EIB reported on Friday.
The biggest single operation was a €350 million EIB loan to energy supplier ZSE Group to upgrade and digitalise power-distribution networks in eastern and western Slovakia, including Bratislava.
Two further loans totalled €45 million — €25 million for Bratislava and €20 million for the central Slovak region of Banská Bystrica — to support development projects including improvements to parks, clinics and other social infrastructure.
“Last year, the EIB Group strengthened its support for Slovakia by investing in smarter energy grids, safer transport and modern infrastructure, while also improving SMEs’ access to finance,” EIB Vice-President Marek Mora said.
Support for firms and EU recovery funds
The EIF also channelled €8 million to Slovakia in 2025 from the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Fund, an economic stimulus programme created during the Covid-19 pandemic, the EIB Group said.
It pointed out its financing in Slovakia over the past five years totals more than €2.2 billion, and that its 2025 support was equivalent to 0.5% of Slovakia’s gross domestic product.
The EIF provided guarantees to financial institutions including Eximbanka, VUB, UniCredit and CSOB to support lending to SMEs and Mid-Caps — medium-sized companies bigger than typical SMEs — including young firms that can struggle to access finance.
