A survey conducted by Banka Slovenije reveals firms to have seen an improvement in access to most forms of financing, in contrast to the negative trends of previous years. Firms are also optimistic with regard to their access to financing this year. Of the firms that reported that the green transition has had or will have an impact on their business (54% of the total), 74% are already investing or planning to invest in this area.
The Survey on Access to Finance of Enterprises, which Banka Slovenije has been conducting since 2011, revealed that firms had felt an improvement in all the key limiting factors, and that access to financing remains one of the least pressing issues. Firms are continuing to cite the general economic environment and their access to government incentive measures as the largest obstacles to good performance, while they expressed a positive assessment of banks’ willingness to lend. Firms are also optimistic with regard to their access to financing in 2025.
Firms are continuing to rely more on their own resources when investing, which is reducing demand for external financing. The number of firms that did not apply for external financing increased for the second consecutive year in 2024, where the main reason cited was the availability of sufficient resources of their own.
Some 54% of all firms reported that the green transition had an impact on their business in 2024. More than half of these firms are developing a green transition plan, while a quarter have already produced one, and 74% of firms are already investing in this area or are planning to do so. The most commonly cited measures include energy efficiency, renewables, reductions in water consumption and waste, and recycling.
