Financing of Cultural Heritage Objects
Šiaulių Bankas calls to submit credit applications to renew and put into action cultural heritage objects. Credit funds are invested in the attractiveness of the objects, their commercial redemption, adaptability to societal needs.
The funds are allocated from the Cultural Heritage Fund established by the Public Investment Development Agency (VIPA), the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania. Šiaulių Bankas AB was selected as the fund manager. The Cultural Heritage Fund was assigned EUR 5.2 million from the European Regional Development Fund.
Loans granted to managers of cultural heritage objects are intended to preserve and disclose the valuable features of heritage sites and make them publicly available. It is also desirable to increase the interest of Lithuanian citizens in cultural heritage and to improve the image of Lithuania as a country attractive for tourism, both for Lithuanian citizens and for residents of foreign countries.
Both public and private legal entities can apply for the loan. Applicants must ensure that their property is included in the register of cultural values. Also, the implementation of the projects must provide for appropriate marketing measures aimed at creating additional and new visitor traffic flows. Borrowers must ensure that cultural heritage objects are accessible and open to the public and to visitors for at least 5 years after the end of project funding.
The project must be implemented within 24 months from the date of signature of the loan agreement.
Loans from the fund are applied 1%+6 month EURIBOR interest rate. The provided loan term is 15 years, but the loan can be repaid earlier according to the conditions specified by the bank in the loan agreement.
It should be noted that the projects aimed at actualization of cultural heritage objects can be combined with the inheritance management projects of these objects and with the associated subsidies or other measures.
More information is available here.