Access to finance and support are at the heart of this programme, which is aimed at micro-enterprises, very small businesses, sole traders, young entrepreneurs with business ideas, the integration of the informal sector, and small businesses exporting to Africa. Intelaka also includes SMEs that meet certain criteria.

The three main products offered as part of this programme are:

• Damane Intelak;
• Intelak Al Moustatmir Al Qarawi;
• Start-TPE.

In addition to the benefits of the guarantees provided by the first two products (guarantee coverage: 80 per cent of the principal amount of the loan), preferential rates are applied to financing (capital expenditure and operating expenditure) granted under this scheme:

• 2 per cent for projects in urban areas;
• 1.75 per cent in rural areas.

The Start-TPE scheme complements this support by providing a loan to meet the working capital needs of businesses benefiting from the Intelaka programme.

‘Damane Intelak’ and ‘Intelek Al Moustatmir Al Qarawi’

These are guarantees for investment and working capital loans, not exceeding 1.2 million dirhams, granted to businesses, natural persons or legal entities that meet the following criteria:

• Be a Moroccan legal entity engaged in the production of goods or services*;
• Businesses must have been established no more than 5 years ago**;
• SMEs must have a turnover not exceeding 10 MDH***.

It should be noted that the ‘Intelak Al Moustatmir Al Qarawi’ product is intended for rural areas.

The guarantee (covering 80 per cent of the principal amount of the loan) applies to:

• Short****, medium and long-term bank loans not exceeding 1.2 MDH.

And as for Damane Intelak, it also applies to:

• Honour loans (unsecured and interest-free) granted by honour loan associations, the amount of which does not exceed 300,000 DH;
• Microcredits not exceeding the statutory limit.

It should be noted that applications (for Damane Intelak or Intelak Al Moustatmir Al Qarawi) are generally made through the programme’s partner banks.

* Excluding property development and deep-sea fishing.

** This condition does not apply to small-scale farms (the ‘Intelak Al Moustatmir Al Qarawi’ scheme). Nor does it apply to companies that generated at least 20 per cent of their turnover from exports to Africa in the last financial year ended. Businesses that have secured their first export contracts or orders to Africa are also eligible, provided that the projected export turnover represents at least 10 per cent of the projected turnover for the current or coming financial year.

*** For businesses currently being set up or which have been in operation for less than one year, the figure used is the projected turnover for the first financial year or the current financial year. For existing businesses, the turnover used is that achieved during the last completed financial year.

**** Only first-time borrowers (companies taking out short-term loans for the first time) are eligible.

Start-TPE

This is a loan to meet working capital requirements. It is available to businesses that have been granted a medium- or long-term bank loan of up to 300,000 DH, guaranteed by the ‘Damane Intelak’ or ‘Intelak Al Moustatmir Al Qarawi’ product.

This loan may not exceed 20 per cent of the amount of the investment loan granted, subject to a cap of 50,000 DH. It has the advantage of being interest-free (0 per cent interest rate) and is repayable in a single instalment after five years.

Applications for this product must be made through the bank that granted the investment loan.

For further information:

TAMWILCOM: www.tamwilcom.ma/fr/votre-projet/programme-intelaka

• Ana Moukawil
• Damane Express