KOSGEB Employment Protection Program closes October 31, how much can manufacturers borrow?

Partly, yes. A business that used a loan in the 2026-1 period can use the difference if that loan was below the 2026-2 ceiling. For a manufacturer that played it safe in spring, a second slice is on the table.

A business that received support as an SME in an earlier period and has since become a large firm, or the reverse, cannot benefit in the new period. Keep this in mind when you update your İşletme Beyanı, the SME declaration that sets your size class.

Under the directive, applications go through the KOSGEB system and e-Devlet, Türkiye’s e-government portal. The loan itself comes from 15 banks with a KOSGEB protocol, a list that mixes public, private and participation (Islamic) banks.

One of two routes is enough. Financial Competence requires, on 2025 data, operating profit above zero and total debt no more than 3 times operating profit. R&D Competence means an R&D or Design Center, a branch in a technology development zone, a TÜBİTAK project completed in the last five years or a patent registered in that time. We cover the technopark side in our article on KOSGEB’s Technology Center Program.

According to the program page, the fixed rate is capped at 37%, and the variable rate at TLREF+1, excluding participation banks. Commission cannot exceed 1% of the loan; for SMEs, the KKDF levy is 0% and BSMV banking tax 1%. Under the directive, the term is at most 36 months, with a principal grace period of up to 6 months.

SMEs can use guarantees from KGF, KFK or İGE, Türkiye’s credit guarantee institutions. For a small workshop with its hands tied on collateral, this makes the bank conversation easier. Approval, however, remains the bank’s decision.

The directive sets the upper bound at 15 points and leaves the applicable figure to a KOSGEB President’s announcement. For this period, the announced cap is 12 points.

Keeping jobs. The average monthly premium days of January to June 2026 must be maintained from July to December 2026. Check in the regulation and directive what happens if the condition is missed before you sign anything.

A business without a manufacturing NACE code in the records of GİB, Türkiye’s Revenue Administration, on 31 December 2025 cannot apply by adding the code afterwards. The main or secondary activity code of the head office or a branch must sit in Section C, manufacturing.

Tradesmen’s chambers have urged small manufacturers to apply. Adlıhan Dere, president of the tradesmen’s federation AESOB, stressed that TL 50 million is a ceiling, not a target, and that the amount should match the ability to repay. If cash is not turning over today, a large loan means instalment pressure tomorrow.

Accountants and suppliers. Accurate, consistent return data puts extra work on the accountant’s desk. If a workshop’s cash squeeze eases, payments along the subcontracting chain may ease too.

The program asks for a current SME declaration. The size information in it separates SMEs from large firms and so decides which ceiling applies; an outdated declaration makes things hard from the start.

The loan is set by tax returns, not by a website. Still, a site that clearly presents your manufacturing activity, product range and contact details, plus a current Google Business Profile, makes it easier to introduce the business to banks and buyers. Good records paired with a dusty online shopfront leave value sitting on the shelf.

For firms weighing support and loan decisions together, we gather current announcements under grants and incentives news. The full program conditions are on the KOSGEB Employment Protection Support Program page.

Withholding and premium service returns for the first half of 2026, your 2025 financial statements and the record showing your NACE code. If you claim R&D Competence, the center certificate, project or patent record goes into the file too.

List your tax and SGK debts that are coming due. Since the support goes only to these items, preparing the debt table early keeps the payment from sitting idle.

For businesses that want to sort out web, search and local visibility alongside their records and data, we do this work together through our digital consulting service. How centers that advise SMEs get funding from KOSGEB is covered in our article on the SEGEM Program.

The program is open to businesses that are natural or legal persons defined in the Turkish Commercial Code. If the head office or branch activity code falls within manufacturing and the SME declaration is current, the workshop may meet the application conditions.

No. According to the program page and the directive, the non-repayable support is used only to pay tax office and SGK premium debts.

The program requires the average monthly premium days of January-June 2026 to be maintained from July to December. Check what applies if the condition is not met in the regulation and directive before applying.