The state and banks together will support the competitiveness of companies

Finance Minister Gilles Roth and Economy Minister Lex Delles have announced the launch of a new support mechanism for companies developed by the Société nationale de crédit et d'investissement (SNCI). "Prêt compétitivité/pérennité", or more simply PCP, aims to strengthen the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of companies in the country.

SMEs will be prioritised: they will be able to use this tool for any type of project that improves their efficiency and viability. Larger companies also have access to the PCP, but only for projects related to digitalisation and environmental transformation.

A key feature of the scheme is the partnership with the country's largest banks: Spuerkeess (BCEE), BIL, BGL BNP Paribas, Banque Raiffeisen and Banque de Luxembourg. The PCP is designed as a complement to commercial loans: the state takes up to 80% of the project financing (maximum €200,000) and the bank adds a minimum of 20% and accompanies the client in the processing. The repayment period can be up to ten years.

In this way, PCP works as a catalyst: it gives companies access to additional resources, but it does not complicate bureaucracy - no new dossiers need to be compiled.

The government is positioning this scheme as a means to simultaneously stimulate innovation, adaptation to new challenges and employment growth. For small businesses, this could be a decisive chance to invest in modernisation without an unsustainable debt burden. However, the question remains: will the simplicity and volume of financing be enough to make the tool massively popular?