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Glossary of funding terms

Short explanations of terms that appear in calls, loan programmes and our guides. The definitions are based on official regulations and documents, and each term lists its source. Checked on 2 November 2026.

Programmes and calls with their status are listed in the Funding programmes overview 2026.

List of terms

Terms

Aid intensity

The gross aid amount expressed as a percentage of the eligible costs, before any deduction of tax or other charge. With an intensity of 50% and eligible costs of EUR 200,000, the aid is at most EUR 100,000 and the applicant finances the rest.

Definition from Article 2(26) of Regulation (EU) No 651/2014.

Assisted areas

In Croatian programmes these are areas below the national development average, that is towns and municipalities in development groups I to IV and counties in groups I and II. In the EU State aid rules the same term refers to the areas on the regional aid map, so each call should be checked for the meaning it uses.

See the Development index page (Article 36 of the Regional Development Act, in Croatian) and Article 2(27) of Regulation (EU) No 651/2014.

Base rate

The reference interest rate for Croatia calculated by the European Commission under its 2008 Communication on reference and discount rates. Some loans link their interest rate to it. For Micro Loans for Growth and Inclusion the rate is the base rate on the date of application minus 2.5 percentage points, and at least 0.5%.

See the HAMAG-BICRO Micro Loans for Growth and Inclusion programme (in Croatian).

De minimis aid

Small amounts of aid that are not regarded as State aid and are not notified to the European Commission. The total de minimis aid granted to a single undertaking in one Member State may not exceed EUR 300,000 over any period of three years. Most HAMAG-BICRO loans are granted as de minimis aid.

Based on Article 3 of Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2831, which applies from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2030.

Development index and development groups

An index used by the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds to assess the development of towns, municipalities and counties. It is calculated from six indicators (income and own revenue per inhabitant, unemployment, population change, tertiary education and the ageing index). Towns and municipalities are classified into eight groups and counties into four. The current classification decision was published in Official Gazette 3/2024 and applies from 13 January 2024. Some programmes depend on the group, for example the interest rate of the Small Loans for Industrial Transition.

See the Development index page of the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds (in Croatian).

eKohezija

The information system for applying for and implementing EU-funded projects in Croatia, available at ekohezija.gov.hr. Project proposals for most calls under the Competitiveness and Cohesion Programme and the Integrated Territorial Programme are submitted through it, and later also payment claims.

Described in the guidelines for applicants, for example the draft guidelines for the STEP SPIN call (in Croatian).

Eligible costs

Costs that the rules of a call or programme allow to be financed from the aid. The applicant covers the difference up to the total project value and all ineligible costs from own funds or external financing that is not from public sources. The list of eligible costs is always in the guidelines for applicants.

Described in the guidelines for applicants, for example the draft guidelines for the STEP SPIN call (in Croatian).

GBER (General Block Exemption Regulation)

Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market. Aid that meets its conditions does not have to be notified to the Commission. Calls state the article they rely on, for example Article 14 for regional investment aid, Article 25 for research and development projects or Article 28 for innovation aid to SMEs.

See the consolidated text of Regulation (EU) No 651/2014.

Guidelines for applicants (UzP)

The main document of a call. It sets the aid amounts and intensities, the State aid rules, who can apply, eligible activities and costs, how and when to apply, and the selection procedure. Before a call is published, the draft guidelines are usually put to public consultation on the e-Savjetovanja portal.

An example is the draft guidelines for the STEP SPIN call (in Croatian).

Incentive effect

The requirement that aid changes the behaviour of the undertaking. Aid is considered to have an incentive effect if the written application was submitted before work on the project started. A project that has already started generally cannot receive aid under the GBER.

Definition from Article 6 of Regulation (EU) No 651/2014.

Lump sum

A funding method in which the grant amount is fixed in advance instead of being calculated from a detailed budget of actual costs. In Stage 1 of the EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges the amount is a fixed EUR 300,000, and applicants only allocate it across work packages.

See the European Innovation Council FAQ.

Mapped stakeholders of regional value chains

Businesses and other stakeholders included in the lists of participants in the regional value chains of Pannonian, Northern and Adriatic Croatia, published by region by the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds. Being on the list is a condition for HAMAG-BICRO Small Loans for Industrial Transition. How to get listed is explained in our guide to the mapped stakeholders list.

The lists are on the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds website (latest from September 2026, in Croatian).

NPOO, PKK and ITP

Abbreviations for the sources that fund most calls. NPOO is the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021-2026. PKK is the Competitiveness and Cohesion Programme 2021-2027, and ITP is the Integrated Territorial Programme 2021-2027, which funds calls and loans for the industrial transition of Pannonian, Northern and Adriatic Croatia.

Calls under all these programmes are published on eufondovi.gov.hr (in Croatian).

Principal write-off and capital rebate

Part of the loan principal that the borrower does not have to repay if it meets the programme conditions, for example new hires or growth in value added. HBOR calls this a capital rebate, which is aid in the form of a grant granted once the criteria are met. Under the HAMAG-BICRO Micro Loans only principal that has not yet been repaid can be written off. More in our guide Capital rebate.

See the HBOR production modernisation loans programme and the HAMAG-BICRO Micro Loans programme (both in Croatian).

Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3)

The strategic document that sets the thematic areas in which Croatia focuses investment in research, development and innovation until 2029. Some calls require the project to fall within one of these areas, for example Process Innovation in S3 Areas. More in our guide Smart Specialisation Strategy until 2029.

See the text of the Smart Specialisation Strategy until 2029 (in Croatian).

SME (micro, small and medium-sized enterprise)

An enterprise with fewer than 250 employees and annual turnover of up to EUR 50 million and/or an annual balance sheet total of up to EUR 43 million. A small enterprise has fewer than 50 employees and turnover and/or balance sheet total of up to EUR 10 million, and a micro-enterprise fewer than 10 employees and up to EUR 2 million. Partner and linked enterprises are included in the calculation, for example where another enterprise holds 25% or more of the capital or voting rights.

Definition from Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 651/2014.

Start of works

The start of construction works relating to the investment or the first legally binding commitment to order equipment or any other commitment that makes the investment irreversible, whichever is first. Buying land and preparatory works such as obtaining permits and feasibility studies are not considered the start of works. This is why orders should not be signed before applying for aid.

Definition from Article 2(23) of Regulation (EU) No 651/2014.

TRL (technology readiness levels)

A scale from 1 to 9 describing the maturity of a technology. TRL 1 means basic principles observed, TRL 4 technology validated in the lab, TRL 6 technology demonstrated in a relevant environment and TRL 9 an actual system proven in an operational environment. Calls often state which levels a project should cover. More in our guide Technology readiness levels (TRL).

The scale is defined by the European Commission in Annex G of the Horizon 2020 work programme.

Undertaking in difficulty

An undertaking that meets at least one of the conditions in the State aid rules, for example a limited liability company that has lost more than half of its subscribed share capital due to accumulated losses, or an undertaking subject to insolvency proceedings. SMEs less than three years old are exempt from the capital loss criterion. Most programmes and calls exclude undertakings in difficulty.

Definition from Article 2(18) of Regulation (EU) No 651/2014.

If you spot an error, let us know at info@omniasolutions.hr.