Microcredit

A microcredit is a loan of up to €50,000 that you can use to start, expand, or acquire a business.

Requirements

Important criteria for taking out a microcredit include:

• You have a well-thought-out business plan, including a financial plan.
• You are at least 18 years old.
• You have sound entrepreneurial skills, such as commercial insight and perseverance.

Social entrepreneur

If your business primarily pursues social objectives, you may qualify for lower interest rates. The criteria are broadly as follows:

• The main mission of your business is to have social impact and solve a social, societal, or environmental problem. You have concrete and measurable social objectives.
• You reinvest most of the profits from your business to achieve its social objectives.
• You participate in an annual survey, sharing the social results you have managed to achieve with Qredits.
• Your business is not just organising a one-off event.

Find out more about the microcredit requirements (in Dutch).

Or watch this video in which an entrepreneur explains how she managed to get funding for her plans. For English subtitles, select Subtitles (‘Ondertiteling’) in the Settings menu (wheel) and then choose English (‘Engels’).

Corona bridge loan: existing entrepreneurs

The Corona bridge loan (in Dutch) for entrepreneurs is intended to help businesses survive the corona crisis.

What are the conditions?

• Microcredit, up to €25,000.
• For established entrepreneurs who started their business before 1 January 2020.
• Duration: maximum 48 months, with no repayment due for the first 6 months.
• This grace period can be extended to 12 months.
• 2% interest in the first year, 5.75% after.

Extra support

With support from the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate, Qredits has introduced additional assistance for its credit customers. Entrepreneurs with a Qredit microcredit were given the opportunity to apply for a 6-month grace period. During this period, the interest rate was only 2%. With this measure, entrepreneurs could temporarily pause repayment of their credit and pay less interest.

Coaching

A microcredit combined with coaching is called microfinance. Your coach will help you where necessary. For example with advice on your business plan, marketing and sales, or finance and administration.

Qredits

You can apply for a microcredit directly from Qredits, a lender that works specifically with entrepreneurs. Since it started in 2009, Qredits has provided more than €400 million in loans to 17,000 starting and established entrepreneurs.

Increase your odds

Take a close look at your lender’s criteria before submitting an application. If you find that your score for a criterion is low, adjust your business operations or find alternatives in advance.

Help with financing

Enlisting help will increase your odds of success. With the right advisor and a solid financial rationale, you will get your finance application approved in no time. These advisors (in Dutch) will help you get started.

More possibilities

Go to the overview of Alternative financing for your business for more ways to secure funding for your business.