ABES, ACATE, BNDES and BRDE have a credit line

ABES (Brazilian Association of Software Companies) and ACATE (Santa Catarina Association of Technology Companies), presented on August 4 the partnership between BNDES (National Economic and Social Development Bank) and BRDE (Regional Development Bank do Extremo Sul) to offer the MSME Inovadora credit line, created to support the increase in the competitiveness of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises that innovate. Focused on Information Technology companies from Santa Catarina, the event took place in the BRDE auditorium, in Florianópolis.

André Medrado, an analyst at the BNDES' Information and Communication Technology Department, explains that the South region was chosen for the dissemination of this new credit line because it concentrates a large number of companies with innovative characteristics in the IT area.

“With the best interest rates available in the market (for the PSI – Investment Support Program, the rate is 4% per year), this new line of credit is a great opportunity for IT companies in the region to obtain the necessary investment to introduce their innovative projects in the market”, says Jorge Sukarie, president of ABES.

The program will start in the region with an estimated credit volume of R$ 300 million, which can be requested by companies based in the country that are classified as MSMEs. the opportunity to expose Santa Catarina's IT companies to the differentiated financing conditions offered to innovative companies”, comments André Medrado.
 
According to the Superintendent of BRDE, Nelson Ronnie, the objective is to support companies with innovative characteristics and with sales of less than R$ 90 million in the year. “The main differentiator of this new line of credit lies in the clarity and objectivity of the criteria to quickly obtain the benefit, with low cost and flexibility in guarantees for IT companies that innovate”, explains Ronnie.

The basic share is up to 100% of the financeable items, with a maximum limit of R$ 10 million per company. The grace period is above the usual BNDES lines, reaching 36 months. As a guarantee alternative, BNDES and BRDE will be making available the FGI (Guarantee Fund for Investment), a low-cost and easily accessible fund.

For a company to be perceived as innovative, it will be required that it meets one of several criteria: use the BNDES Card for technology services; have MPS.BR; be in a Technological Park; have participated in a business incubator; has received investment from a fund focused on innovative companies; participate in SIBRATEC (Brazilian Technology System); among many other alternatives. For more information about the Program, visit: www.bndes.gov.br.