As part of the EU-financed refundable funding schemes, the GINOP-8-1.1-16 loan scheme aims to promote the financially viable, revenue-generating research, development and innovation activities of businesses which are unable to get sufficient funding from the money markets. In the framework of the scheme, applicants receive credit on preferential terms to finance the development and marketing of new, marketable products, services, technologies and prototypes with significant intellectual added value. As a requirement laid down by the Managing Authority announcing the loan scheme, applicants have to obtain the endorsing RDI policy opinion of the NRDI Office.

In the seventh round the NRDI Office issued opinions for 20 submitted project proposals with a total credit request of HUF 15.5 billion. The proposals were first assessed by anonymous experts against the assessment criteria set out in the call. Based on anonymous peer-reviews, the proposals were then assessed by a group of experts with great professional competence and considerable experience in assessing proposals from the perspective of the loan scheme. Finally, the expert group recommended the President of the NRDI Office to endorse the credit request of 11 proposals. Actual applications for the loan can only be submitted for the project proposals after receipt of the endorsing RDI policy opinion.

The modified budget of the loan scheme is HUF 40.09 billion, of which endorsing RDI policy opinion was given to 22 proposals int he previous rounds, with a total credit request of HUF 20 billion. The remaining budget is still open to project proposals which first have to be submitted to the NRDI Office for an RDI policy opinion.