Grants and loans for young people, women and start-up entrepreneurs 2026: what is open and how to prepare

In October 2026, start-up entrepreneurs and owners from vulnerable groups, including people aged 18 to 29, can apply for the micro loan of HAMAG-BICRO (Croatian Agency for SMEs, Innovations and Investments) of up to EUR 50,000 at 0.5% interest, while people under 41, women entrepreneurs and start-ups can apply through a bank for a loan from HBOR (Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development) of up to EUR 400,000 at an interest rate of up to 3.00%. HAMAG-BICRO’s loans of up to EUR 100,000 for women entrepreneurs and start-up entrepreneurs are temporarily closed.

This guide covers the main national and local sources of funding for starting a business, their status, their conditions and the order in which it makes sense to use them. To find out which source suits you, contact us. The information was checked on the official websites of HAMAG-BICRO, HBOR, the ministries, cities and counties on 20 and 21 October 2026.

In brief: young people, women and start-ups in 2026

• Loan of up to EUR 50,000: the HAMAG-BICRO micro loan for companies and sole proprietorships up to 3 years old and for owners aged 18 to 29, owners aged 55 or over, persons with disabilities and persons without completed secondary education. It is open.
• Loan of up to EUR 400,000: HBOR’s programme for young people (under 41), women entrepreneurs and start-ups. Through a bank, it finances up to 100% of the investment, as a rule at a fixed interest rate of up to 3.00%. It is open.
• Closed: HAMAG-BICRO’s loans for women entrepreneurs and start-up entrepreneurs, and the first Proof of Concept call for innovative SME projects.
• Agriculture: in the call for investment in primary agricultural production, farms with an economic size of up to EUR 250,000 have an aid intensity 15 percentage points higher if the investment is made by young farmers or if the farm has been held by a woman for at least three consecutive years. Some of these calls are open until 1 December 2026.
• Local: women entrepreneurs based in Rijeka who resume their business after maternity, parental or adoption leave can apply for EUR 2,000 until 31 December 2026. The 2026 calls of Osijek, Split-Dalmatia County and Koprivnica-Križevci County are closed.
• The most important rule: do not pay for anything before approval, because costs already paid generally cannot be financed.

What is open and what is closed: status as of 21 October 2026

Programme	Who it is for	Amount	Status
Micro Loan for Growth and Inclusion (Mikro zajam za rast i uključenost) (HAMAG-BICRO)	companies and sole proprietorships up to 3 years old, and owners from vulnerable groups	EUR 1,000 to 50,000, interest 0.5%, write-off up to 30%	open
Entrepreneurship of Young People, Women, Start-ups and Other Special Segments (Poduzetništvo mladih, žena, početnika i ostalih posebnih segmenata) (HBOR)	people under 41, women entrepreneurs, start-ups up to 3 years old	up to EUR 400,000; through a bank from EUR 50,000, as a rule at interest of up to 3.00%	open
Small Loans for Women Entrepreneurs and Start-ups (Mali zajmovi za žene poduzetnice i poduzetnike početnike) (HAMAG-BICRO)	women who have been owners for at least 2 years, and companies up to 3 years old	EUR 25,001 to 100,000, interest 0.5%, write-off up to 50%	temporarily closed because the funds have been used up
Proof of Concept (Dokazivanje inovativnog koncepta), first call (MZOM)	SMEs and research organisations with an innovative project	EUR 26,500 to 70,000	closed on 15 September 2026
Aid for investment in primary agricultural production (73.10)	farmers entered in the Farm Register (Upisnik poljoprivrednika); higher intensity for young farmers and women farm holders	from EUR 15,000 of aid per project	open until 1 December 2026 (fruit, wine, vegetables, milk) and until 12 November 2026 (laying hens)
Setting up of young farmers (CAP Strategic Plan, SP ZPP, 75.01)	farmers aged 18 to 40 who are farm holders for the first time	EUR 75,000 per beneficiary in the 2025 call	2026 call not yet published
Aid for women entrepreneurs after maternity or parental leave (City of Rijeka)	women entrepreneurs based in Rijeka	EUR 2,000	open until 31 December 2026

HAMAG-BICRO micro loan of up to EUR 50,000

The Micro Loan for Growth and Inclusion is open and is intended specifically for start-ups and vulnerable groups. You can apply even before setting up a company or sole proprietorship, and the agreement is signed with the registered entity.

• Who can apply: micro and small entities up to 3 years old, and those whose majority owner is a person aged 18 to 29, a person aged 55 or over, a person with a disability or a person without completed secondary education. The majority owner must work full-time in the entity. If you apply as a young company or a future founder, the owner must not hold more than 30% of another entity and must not have held such a share for more than 3 years in total.
• Conditions: EUR 1,000 to 50,000, repayment of up to 5 years with a grace period of up to 1 year. The interest rate is fixed for the entire repayment period and equals the base rate for Croatia on the day the application is received minus 2.5 percentage points, but not less than 0.5%. For applications received by 31 October 2026, it is 0.5%.
• Write-off: up to 30% of the principal drawn, subject to regular repayment, if you additionally employ, on a permanent full-time contract for at least 12 months, a person with a disability, a person over 55, a long-term unemployed person or a young person up to 29 without work experience. Only the part of the principal not yet repaid is written off.
• It does not finance, among other things, agriculture, accommodation, transport and storage, real estate or investments already paid for.

You can find all the conditions in the guide Micro Loans for Growth and Inclusion, and an overview of the other programmes in the guide HAMAG-BICRO loans 2026.

HBOR loan for young people, women and start-up entrepreneurs

HBOR’s programme Entrepreneurship of Young People, Women, Start-ups and Other Special Segments has applied since 1 July 2026. It is intended for micro, small and medium-sized entities, including sole proprietorships (obrt), family farms (OPG) and cooperatives. The minimum loan through a bank is EUR 50,000, so the programme suits investments larger than those covered by the micro loan.

• Young entrepreneurs: young people together own more than 50%, and a young person is someone who has not yet turned 41 on the date of the application.
• Women entrepreneurs: women together own more than 50%, and the entity is managed by a woman.
• Start-up entrepreneurs: newly established entities or those operating for less than 3 years, whose owners have never held more than 30% of another entity.
• Amount and interest: up to EUR 400,000. Through a commercial bank from EUR 50,000, up to 100% of the investment excluding VAT, at a fixed interest rate of up to 3.00%. Directly from HBOR from EUR 100,000, up to 85% of the investment, at a fixed 3.90%. The interest rate may be higher if a subsidy cannot be granted because of state aid rules.
• Repayment: up to 12 years, including a grace period of up to 3 years. Working capital may account for at most 30% of the loan.
• Fees for direct loans: a processing fee of 0.30% and a commitment fee of 0.25% per year on the undrawn amount.

You can find a comparison with HBOR’s other programmes in the guide HBOR loans for entrepreneurs 2026.

Loans for women entrepreneurs and start-ups: temporarily closed

In October 2025, HAMAG-BICRO opened the Small Loans for Women Entrepreneurs and Start-ups, with EUR 17,067,000 from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The programme is temporarily closed because the funds have been used up, and as of 21 October 2026 no reopening date had been published.

• Who it is for: companies and sole proprietorships registered for less than 3 years, and those in which women have held more than 50% for at least 2 years.
• Conditions: EUR 25,001 to 100,000, fixed interest of 0.5%, repayment of up to 10 years with a grace period of up to 1 year.
• Write-off: up to 50% of the principal, 10% for each additional newly employed person, and 15% if that person is a woman or a person who has not yet turned 30.
• While it is closed: women entrepreneurs can check the HBOR programme described in the previous section, and young companies can also check the micro loan. If you wish, we will let you know when the programme reopens.

Innovative start-ups

• Proof of Concept (Dokazivanje inovativnog koncepta): the first call (EUR 26,500 to 70,000) closed on 15 September 2026. The plan from December 2025 envisaged a second call in autumn 2026, but as of 21 October 2026 it has not been published.
• Start-up/Spin-off Companies of Young Researchers (Start-up/spin off poduzeća mladih istraživača): a call for newly established companies of young researchers is being prepared. We described the conditions from the draft in the article Start-up/spin-off companies of young researchers.
• ZICER Accelerator (Zagreb): applications for 2026 closed on 7 May 2026. Selected teams receive initial support of EUR 5,000.
• Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs: a European Union exchange programme in which a new entrepreneur works for up to 6 months alongside an experienced entrepreneur in another country, with a monthly allowance. Applications are always open.

Young people and women in agriculture

• Aid for investment in primary agricultural production (73.10): for farms with an economic size of up to EUR 250,000, the aid intensity is 45%, and it increases by 15 percentage points for investments by young farmers and for farms whose holder has been a woman for at least three consecutive years, without these increases being added together. Larger farms have 40%, without any increase, and the windows for them closed on 30 September and 19 October 2026. For fruit growing, viticulture and vegetable growing (farms with an economic size of EUR 10,000 to 250,000), applications are accepted until 1 December 2026 at 12:00, for laying hens (from EUR 15,000) until 12 November 2026, and for milk production in the third call from 21 October to 1 December 2026.
• Setting up of young farmers (75.01): in the 2025 call, the aid amounted to EUR 75,000 per beneficiary, for farmers aged 18 to 40 who had become farm holders for the first time, with a farm economic size of EUR 10,000 to 100,000. A new call was planned for the third quarter of 2026, but as of 21 October 2026 it has not been published.
• HAMAG-BICRO SP ZPP loan: EUR 1,000 to 150,000 at a fixed interest rate of 0.10%, for investment in nine sectors, with applications from 28 October 2026 at 9:00. At least 2 years of operation in the sector are required, and the urban centres of Zagreb, Osijek, Rijeka and Split are not eligible. Subject to regular repayment and meeting the sector criteria, up to 45% of the principal is written off, and for young farmers (aged 18 to 40, first-time farm holders for no more than 5 years) up to 50%, with repayment of up to 10 years. It cannot be combined with grants for the same investment. More in the guide SP ZPP Loans for Growth of Agricultural Production.

Aid from cities and counties

Cities and counties have their own programmes for start-up entrepreneurs, young people and women, but calls are usually published once a year and close quickly. The status in several larger cities and counties:

• City of Zagreb: the Programme for Promoting the Development of Crafts and Small and Medium-sized Entrepreneurship 2024–2030 (Program poticanja razvoja obrta, malog i srednjeg poduzetništva) provides for a measure for youth and women entrepreneurship and for start-up entrepreneurs, but we have not found a 2026 public call under this measure.
• City of Rijeka: women entrepreneurs who resume their business after maternity, parental or adoption leave can apply for EUR 2,000 until 31 December 2026. The entity must be wholly owned by women and have its registered office in Rijeka.
• City of Osijek, Split-Dalmatia County and Koprivnica-Križevci County: the 2026 calls are closed (Osijek up to EUR 15,000 per applicant, deadline 30 June; Split-Dalmatia County, deadline 19 June; Koprivnica-Križevci County, START UP up to EUR 4,000, deadline 3 July).
• Tip: follow the websites of your city, county and local development agency throughout the year, as some calls are published in spring and some in autumn.

In what order to use grants and loans

• You are just starting a business: you can apply for the micro loan even before setting up a company or sole proprietorship, and the agreement is signed with the registered entity. For an investment larger than EUR 50,000, check the HBOR loan for start-ups.
• Young company with an investment of up to EUR 50,000: the micro loan, with a possible write-off of up to 30% of the principal if you employ a person from a vulnerable group.
• People under 41, women entrepreneurs and start-ups with a larger investment: the HBOR loan through a bank, from EUR 50,000 to 400,000.
• Young farmers: calls for investment with increased aid intensity and, after 2 years of operation, also the SP ZPP loan, but not for the same investment.
• For everyone: do not pay for anything before approval, because costs already paid generally cannot be financed, and the same cost item must not be financed twice.

Check what is available to you

We can check with you which programmes are open to you, which ones you can prepare for and what to watch out for, for example the minimum loan amount or activities that a particular programme does not finance.

How Omnia Solutions can help you

Omnia Solutions is a Zagreb consultancy specialising in EU funds and favourable loans. We help start-up entrepreneurs, young people and women entrepreneurs put together the financing for starting and growing their business.

• Financing plan: which sources are relevant and in what order to use them, so that you do not finance the same investment twice and do not lose the right to a write-off or aid.
• Business plan with a cost breakdown and projections, using the forms of HAMAG-BICRO, HBOR or the bank.
• Application and documentation for the micro loan, the HBOR loan and other programmes.
• Notification of the opening of closed programmes and new calls that suit you.

Frequently asked questions

What support is available for young entrepreneurs in 2026?

As of 21 October 2026, the open programmes are the HAMAG-BICRO micro loan (EUR 1,000 to 50,000, interest 0.5%), which is also intended for owners aged 18 to 29, and the HBOR loan for young people, women and start-ups of up to EUR 400,000 for owners who have not yet turned 41. Young farmers with a farm of an economic size of up to EUR 250,000 have an aid intensity 15 percentage points higher in the open call for investment in primary agricultural production.

Are there loans for women entrepreneurs?

HBOR’s programme for young people, women and start-ups is also intended for entities in which women own more than 50% and which are managed by a woman, with loans of up to EUR 400,000. HAMAG-BICRO’s Small Loans for Women Entrepreneurs and Start-ups (up to EUR 100,000, write-off up to 50%) are temporarily closed because the funds have been used up.

Can I apply for a micro loan before I set up a company or sole proprietorship?

Yes. An application for the HAMAG-BICRO micro loan can be submitted before the business is set up, and the agreement is signed with the registered entity. The majority owner must work full-time in the company or sole proprietorship and must not hold more than 30% of another entity, and must not have held such a share for more than 3 years in total.

What is the minimum HBOR loan for young people, women and start-ups?

Through a commercial bank, the loan is at least EUR 50,000, and directly from HBOR at least EUR 100,000. The maximum amount is EUR 400,000. For smaller investments, from EUR 1,000 to 50,000, the HAMAG-BICRO micro loan is worth checking.

Who counts as a young entrepreneur?

It depends on the programme. HBOR considers owners who have not yet turned 41 to be young, the HAMAG-BICRO micro loan covers persons aged 18 to 29, and for young farmers under the SP ZPP the age limit is 40.

Who is a start-up entrepreneur?

For HBOR and HAMAG-BICRO, it is an entity that has just been established or has been operating for less than 3 years. For HBOR, the owners must not hold and must never have held more than 30% of another entity, and for the HAMAG-BICRO micro loan they must not hold such a share now and must not have held it for more than 3 years in total. Local programmes have their own definitions, for example up to 2 years of operation.

Is there aid for young farmers in 2026?

The call for setting up young farmers (75.01), which in 2025 provided EUR 75,000 per beneficiary, had not been published as of 21 October 2026. In the open call for investment in primary agricultural production (73.10), farms with an economic size of up to EUR 250,000 have an intensity 15 percentage points higher for investments by young farmers, and under the HAMAG-BICRO SP ZPP loan young farmers can have up to 50% of the principal written off.

How can you prepare while programmes are not open?

Prepare a business plan with a cost breakdown, collect supplier quotes and check which activity fits the programme. Do not pay for anything before approval. Programmes close when the funds are used up, so having your documentation ready is an advantage.

Sources

• HAMAG-BICRO: Micro Loan for Growth and Inclusion and Small Loans for Women Entrepreneurs and Start-ups
• HBOR: Entrepreneurship of Young People, Women, Start-ups and Other Special Segments and General eligibility criteria (July 2026)
• MZOM: Proof of Concept, first call
• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: second call 73.10, third call 73.10 for milk and indicative plan of calls
• Call 75.01 Setting up of young farmers (2025)
• City of Rijeka: aid for women entrepreneurs after maternity or parental leave 2026
• City of Zagreb: Programme for Promoting the Development of Crafts and Small and Medium-sized Entrepreneurship 2024–2030, ZICER Accelerator 2026 and rules
• City of Osijek: POT-OS-2026, Split-Dalmatia County: public call 2026 and Koprivnica-Križevci County: START UP 2026
• HAMAG-BICRO: conditions of SP ZPP Loans for Growth of Agricultural Production, HBOR: Rules on fees and announcement of loans for women entrepreneurs and start-ups (15 October 2025)
• Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs

The conditions are summarised from official sources as of 21 October 2026 and may change. The programme and call texts in force prevail. The decision on aid or a loan is made by the funding provider.