Survey on the Access to Finance of SMEs [SAFE]

Updated by DBnomics on
March 9, 2021
Frequency [FREQ]
Reference area [REF_AREA]
Firm size (SAFE) [FIRM_SIZE]
Firm economic activity (SAFE) [FIRM_SECTOR]
Firm turnover (SAFE) [FIRM_TURNOVER]
Firm age (SAFE) [FIRM_AGE]
Firm other breakdowns (ownership, export) (SAFE) [FIRM_OWNERSHIP]
SAFE question [SAFE_QUESTION]
SAFE question related item [SAFE_ITEM]
SAFE answer [SAFE_ANSWER]
SAFE filter - applicable answer [SAFE_FILTER]
Denomination in SAFE context [SAFE_DENOM]

Dataset has 189,501 series. Add search filters to narrow them.

Dimensions codes and labels
[FREQ] Frequency
  • [H] Half-yearly
[REF_AREA] Reference area
  • [AT] Austria
  • [BE] Belgium
  • [U2] Euro area (changing composition)
  • [T2] Euro area countries except Germany, France, Italy and Spain
  • [FI] Finland
  • [FR] France
  • [DE] Germany
  • [GR] Greece
  • [IE] Ireland
  • [IT] Italy
  • [NL] Netherlands
  • [PT] Portugal
  • [SK] Slovakia
  • [ES] Spain
[FIRM_SIZE] Firm size (SAFE)
  • [ALL] All firm sizes
  • [LAR] Large firms
  • [MED] Medium-sized firms
  • [MIC] Micro firms
  • [SME] Small and medium-sized enterprises
  • [SML] Small firms
[FIRM_SECTOR] Firm economic activity (SAFE)
  • [A] All sectors
  • [C] Construction sector
  • [I] Industry sector
  • [S] Services sector [excluding trade]
  • [T] Trade sector
[FIRM_TURNOVER] Firm turnover (SAFE)
  • [0] All turnover breakdowns included
[FIRM_AGE] Firm age (SAFE)
  • [0] All ages included
  • [1] Created 10 years ago or more
  • [3] Created between 2 and 4 years ago
  • [2] Created between 5 and 9 years ago
  • [4] Created less than 2 years ago
  • [9] Do not know firm age/No answer
[FIRM_OWNERSHIP] Firm other breakdowns (ownership, export) (SAFE)
  • [0] All types of ownership, all export classes included
[SAFE_QUESTION] SAFE question
  • [D0] D0. Characteristics of the firm - country of residence
  • [D1] D1. Characteristics of the firm - size
  • [D2] D2. Characteristics of the firm - autonomous
  • [D2A] D2A. Location of the parent company
  • [D3] D3. Characteristics of the firm - main activity
  • [D4] D4. Characteristics of the firm - turnover
  • [D5] D5. Characteristics of the firm - age
  • [D6] D6. Characteristics of the firm - ownership
  • [D6B] D6B. Characteristics of the firm - gender
  • [D7] D7. Percentage of export in total turnover
  • [FG] Financing gap
  • [FOB] Financing obstacles - broad definition
  • [Q0] Q0. Most pressing problem
  • [Q0B] Q0b. Pressingness of problems that the firm is facing
  • [Q1] Q1. New developments in the firm
  • [Q10] Q10. Financing applied - conditions
  • [Q11] Q11. External financing - factors
  • [Q12] Q12. Loan size
  • [Q14] Q14. Loan purpose
  • [Q16] Q16. Growth of the firm
  • [Q17] Q17. Turnover growth - expectations
  • [Q19] Q19. Confidence in negotiations
  • [Q2] Q2. Firm income generation indicators
  • [Q20] Q20. Financing growth - instruments
  • [Q21] Q21. Financing growth - amount
  • [Q22] Q22. Financing growth - the most important limitation
  • [Q23] Q23. External financing - expectations
  • [Q24] Q24. Importance of factors in the future financing of the firm
  • [Q32] Q32. Most important reason for bank loans being not relevant
  • [Q4] Q4. Financing structure
  • [Q5] Q5. External financing - needs
  • [Q6] Q6. External financing - impact
  • [Q6A] Q6A. Purpose of financing
  • [Q7A] Q7A. Financing applied
  • [Q7B] Q7B. Financing applied - outcome
  • [Q8A] Q8A. Size of the last bank loan obtained in the last 6 months
  • [Q8B] Q8B. Interest rate charged for the credit line or bank overdraft
  • [Q9] Q9. Financing applied - availability
[SAFE_ITEM] SAFE question related item
  • [1A] A new or significantly improved product or service to the market
  • [1B] A new or significantly improved production process or method
  • [1C] A new organisation of management
  • [1D] A new way of selling your goods or services
  • [P3] Access to finance
  • [11B] Access to public financial support including guarantees
  • [6C] Availability of internal funds
  • [P5] Availability of skilled staff or experienced managers
  • [10D] Available maturity of the loan
  • [10C] Available size of loan or credit line
  • [FBLN] Bank loan
  • [22A] Bank or other loan
  • [24E] Business support services
  • [K6] Buying another business
  • [10E] Collateral requirements
  • [P2] Competition
  • [P4] Costs of production or labour
  • [FOVD] Credit line, bank overdraft or credit cards overdraft
  • [2J] Debt compared to assets
  • [FDSE] Debt securities issued
  • [6_4] Developing and launching new products or services
  • [FXXX] Did not use external financing
  • [N9] Do not know
  • [22B] Equity investment or mezzanine
  • [FEQI] Equity investments in your firm
  • [24C] Export credits or guarantees
  • [FFAC] Factoring
  • [P1] Finding customers
  • [2G] Fixed investment
  • [6A] Fixed Investment
  • [6_1] Fixed Investment
  • [11A] General economic outlook, to obtain external financing
  • [FGSL] Grants or subsidised bank loan
  • [24A] Guarantees for loans
  • [6_3] Hiring and training of employees
  • [16A] In terms of employment regarding the number of full time or full-time equivalent employees
  • [16B] In terms of turnover
  • [2D] Interest expenses
  • [FIFN] Internal funds (retained earnings or sale of assets)
  • [2H] Inventories and working capital
  • [6B] Inventories and working capital
  • [6_2] Inventories and working capital
  • [2B] Labour cost (including social contributions)
  • [K2] Land/buildings or Equipment/vehicles
  • [FLEH] Leasing or hire-purchase
  • [FLHF] Leasing or hire-purchase or factoring
  • [10A] Level of interest rates
  • [10B] Level of the cost of financing other than interest rates (charges, fees, commisions)
  • [24F] Making existing public measures easier to obtain
  • [24B] Measures to facilitate equity investments
  • [6D] Mergers and acquisitions and corporate restructuring
  • [ZZZZ] Not applicable
  • [2I] Number of employees
  • [N8] Other
  • [2C] Other costs influencing income generation (e.g. materials, energy, other)
  • [FOLN] Other loans
  • [10F] Other terms and conditions of the bank financing, e.g. loan covenants, required guarantees, information requirements, procedures, time required for loan approval
  • [FOTH] Other types of financing n.e.i.
  • [2E] Profit
  • [2F] Profit margin
  • [K4] Promotion
  • [6_5] Refinancing or paying off obligations
  • [P6] Regulation
  • [K3] Research and development or intellectual property
  • [K5] Staff training
  • [FSPL] Subordinated loans, participating loans, preferred stocks or similar financing instruments
  • [24D] Tax incentives
  • [FTCR] Trade credit
  • [2A] Turnover
  • [11F] Willingness of banks to provide credit
  • [11G] Willingness of business partners to provide trade credit
  • [11H] Willingness of investors to invest in your enterprise
  • [19A] With banks
  • [19B] With equity investors/ venture capital firms
  • [K1] Working capital
  • [11E] Your firm credit history
  • [11D] Your firm own capital
  • [11C] Your firm-specific outlook
[SAFE_ANSWER] SAFE answer
  • [EX1] 0% - no export of goods and services
  • [Y4] 100 000 - 1 million euros
  • [P3] Access to finance
  • [S8] Application is still pending
  • [R1] Applied
  • [S1] Applied and got everything
  • [S5] Applied and got most of it
  • [S6] Applied but only got a limited part of it
  • [S2] Applied but only got part of it
  • [S3] Applied but refused because cost too high
  • [S4] Applied but was rejected
  • [AT] Austria
  • [B2] Autonomous firm
  • [P5] Availability of skilled staff or experienced managers
  • [X1] Bank loan
  • [BE] Belgium
  • [EX3] Between 25% and 50%
  • [B5] Branch
  • [P2] Competition
  • [C] Construction sector
  • [P4] Costs of production or labour
  • [E1] Created 10 years ago or more
  • [E3] Created between 2 and 4 years ago
  • [E2] Created between 5 and 9 years ago
  • [E4] Created less than 2 years ago
  • [CY] Cyprus
  • [N3] Decreased, deteriorated or will deteriorate
  • [R2] Did not apply because of possible rejection
  • [R3] Did not apply because of sufficient internal funds
  • [R4] Did not apply for other reasons
  • [V2] Did not use but relevant
  • [CT3] Different country in EU member state not belonging to euro area (changing composition)
  • [CT2] Different country in the euro area
  • [CT4] Different country outside EU
  • [N9] Do not know
  • [X3] Equity investment
  • [EE] Estonia
  • [T2] Euro area countries except Germany, France, Italy and Spain
  • [G2] Female
  • [W5] Financing not available at all
  • [P1] Finding customers
  • [FI] Finland
  • [FR] France
  • [DE] Germany
  • [M4] Got smaller or will become smaller
  • [GR] Greece
  • [N1] Increased, improved or will improve
  • [I] Industry sector
  • [W2] Insufficient collateral or guarantee
  • [W3] Interest rates or price too high
  • [IE] Ireland
  • [IT] Italy
  • [LAR] Large firms
  • [M2] Less than 20% per year
  • [EX2] Less than 25%
  • [L1] Level 1 out of 10, not at all
  • [L10] Level 10 out of 10, extreme
  • [L2] Level 2 out of 10
  • [L3] Level 3 out of 10
  • [L4] Level 4 out of 10
  • [L5] Level 5 out of 10
  • [L6] Level 6 out of 10
  • [L7] Level 7 out of 10
  • [L8] Level 8 out of 10
  • [L9] Level 9 out of 10
  • [X2] Loan from other sources
  • [LU] Luxembourg
  • [G1] Male
  • [MT] Malta
  • [MED] Medium-sized firms
  • [MIC] Micro firms
  • [Y6] More than EUR 100,000 and up to EUR 250,000
  • [Y3] More than EUR 25,000 and up to EUR 100,000
  • [Y7] More than EUR 250,000 and up to EUR 1 million
  • [NN] Net (increased minus decreased responses)
  • [NL] Netherlands
  • [H2] No
  • [W7] No bank loans available
  • [M3] No growth
  • [W8] No need for this type of financing
  • [N7] Not applicable to the firm
  • [B1] Not autonomous (subsidiary or branch)
  • [N8] Other
  • [M1] Over 20% per year
  • [EX4] Over 50%
  • [Y5] Over EUR 1 million
  • [F5] Ownership a natural person, one owner only
  • [F2] Ownership family or entrepreneurs
  • [F1] Ownership listed on the stock market
  • [F3] Ownership other firms or business associates
  • [F4] Ownership venture capital firms or business angels
  • [PT] Portugal
  • [W4] Reduced control over the firm
  • [P6] Regulation
  • [V3] Relevant
  • [N99] Relevant but do not know if used
  • [N2] Remained unchanged or will remain unchanged
  • [S] Services sector [excluding trade]
  • [SK] Slovakia
  • [SI] Slovenia
  • [SME] Small and medium-sized enterprises
  • [SML] Small firms
  • [ES] Spain
  • [X4] Subordinated loans, participating loans, preferred stocks or similar financing instruments
  • [B4] Subsidiary
  • [CT1] The same country
  • [W1] There are no obstacles
  • [W6] Too much paper work
  • [NT] Total
  • [T] Trade sector
  • [D7] Turnover of more than 1 million and up to 2 million euros
  • [D3] Turnover of more than 10 million and up to 50 million euros
  • [D2] Turnover of more than 2 million and up to 10 million euros
  • [D4] Turnover of more than 50 million euros
  • [D6] Turnover of more than 500 thousand and up to 1 million euros
  • [D1] Turnover of up to 2 million euros
  • [D5] Turnover of up to 500 thousand euros
  • [Y2] Up to EUR 25,000
  • [V1] Used
  • [Y1] We did not take a loan
  • [H1] Yes
[SAFE_FILTER] SAFE filter - applicable answer
  • [FL] Excluding not applicable responses
  • [AL] Including not applicable responses
[SAFE_DENOM] Denomination in SAFE context
  • [UN] Unweighted number of responses
  • [WA] Weighted average
  • [WM] Weighted median
  • [WN] Weighted number of responses
  • [WP] Weighted percentage of responses
Technical links