KEU Customer impact surveys 2002

At the establishment of the Norwegian Business and Regional Development Fund (SND), emphasis was placed on developing a goal- and results-reporting system that could enable the new institution to develop in a unified manner. After thorough work, a system was implemented in 1994 that would measure effects, activity, and productivity. This system essentially covered all the tools SND managed. For each year, a pre-survey is conducted one year after the service was provided, in addition to a post-survey three to four years later. For the 2002 tool year, Nordlandsforskning conducted an evaluation survey in 2003, in addition to a post-survey in 2006.

The survey covers the following areas:

1. General information about the project for which support is sought
2. Actors and factors important for the initiation/implementation of the project
3. Knowledge of and views on SND's financing options
4. SND's significance for the project
5. Status and expectations for the project/measure/establishment
6. The company's situation relative to others in the same industry
7. The company's goals and business overall
8. Development of networks and collaboration relationships
9. The project/company's results
10. Facts/background about the company

SND's tools are divided into different tool groups. These include low-risk loans, nationwide risk loans, district-oriented risk loans, nationwide development grants, district development grants, founder scholarships, OFU/IFU, basic financing for the fishing fleet, loans for agriculture, and rural development funds. The survey was sent to companies based on which tool group they belong to. For the pre-survey, five different forms were sent out: a basic form (applicable to the group consisting of recipients of risk loans and grants), a form for recipients of basic financing for the fishing fleet, a form for the OFU/IFU group, a form for recipients of founder scholarships, and a form for recipients of agricultural loans and rural development grants. For the post-survey, three forms were sent out (the OFU/IFU group and recipients of basic financing for the fishing fleet are included in the basic form).

SND was established based on the Norwegian Parliament's consideration of the government's bill in Ot.prp. nr. 57 (1991-92) and established with effect from 3 July 1992. At the same time as SND was established, the previous institutions District Development Fund, Small Business Fund, and Industry Fund were discontinued, and their activities were taken up by the new statutory company. From the same time, Industribanken AS was dissolved.