Slovene Enterprise Fund
At the Heart of Entrepreneurial Growth and Innovation
The Slovene Enterprise Fund (SEF) is a public financial institution that has, for more than two decades, served as a key player in supporting micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Slovenia.
Through a wide range of programmes, the Fund provides both financial and non-financial support to companies at all stages of development – from start-up and growth to internationalisation and sustainable expansion.
Key facts about SEF:
Approved incentives (2007–2024)
Annual funding volume
Supported high-tech companies
Supported start-ups each year
A Connector in the Slovenian Business Ecosystem
The Fund plays an essential connecting role in Slovenia’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem by fostering strategic partnerships between industry, research institutions, investors, and public bodies.
Through its partnerships for sustainable development, SPS aims to:
- build vertical business accelerators in key high-tech sectors,
- strengthen collaboration among SMEs, corporations, research institutions, experts, and other stakeholders,
- enable the development and testing of integrated solutions in real environments and support faster access to markets and investors.
By 2030, the Fund’s strategic goal is to focus even more strongly on companies with high technological potential and sustainable impact.
A key part of this effort is the Development Plus Programme and the Development Partnerships, which combine financial incentives with content-based support, targeting high-tech and innovative start-up and scale-up companies.
Development Plus Programme and Development Partnerships
The Razvojni Plus Programme is part of the European Cohesion Policy 2021–2027 and is focused on the accelerated, global, and sustainable growth of innovative SMEs. It combines non-repayable and repayable financial instruments with non-financial support, including mentorship, training, and networking.
Within the Development Plus framework, several initiatives are implemented — vertical, cross-border, and investment accelerators, as well as mentorship programmes and the Start-up Consortium Programme, which promotes an innovative entrepreneurial culture and offers comprehensive support during the early stages of business growth.
The general (horizontal) support provided by the Start-up Consortium is complemented by Development Partnerships and Vertical Accelerator Programmes, which are focused on building specialised skills, knowledge, and competences within specific industries.
One of the vertical accelerators implemented by the Slovene Enterprise Fund (SPS) focuses on the health sector.
About the Development Plus Programme
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Health as a Strategic Priority for Slovenia and the EU
Healthcare is becoming one of the most important development areas at both national and European levels.
Slovenia and the European Commission highlight the following key objectives in the field of health:
- Accessible, efficient, and safe healthcare
- Reduction of health inequalities
- Digital transformation of healthcare (AI, mHealth, telemedicine)
- Promotion of health innovation and sustainable solutions
A vital component in developing the healthcare ecosystem is entrepreneurship and health innovation, as innovations in this field have the potential to address major societal challenges. In this context, health has become a key development vertical within SPS. For this reason, the Fund implements both a Development Partnership and a Vertical Accelerator Programme in this area.
Development Partnership in the Field of Health
The Development Partnership in Health is a national initiative of the Slovenian Enterprise Fund, encompassing a systematic programme and an integrated development platform to support entrepreneurship and progress in healthcare.
Development and Collaboration Platform for Supporting Entrepreneurship and Progress in Healthcare
