London, United Kingdom. In a bid to continue to promote and expand access to finance for small and medium sized businesses, TFG is delighted to announce an exciting industry partnership with the SME Finance Forum, an International Finance Corporation (IFC) managed project.

SMEs are an engine for economic growth, accounting for 9 out of 10 businesses, half of GDP and two-thirds of jobs worldwide. Yet the SME finance gap is still estimated to be $5.2 trillion (unmet SME financing need per year). In this context, the Forum’s mission is to bring together banks and financial institutions, development finance institutions, multilateral and technology partners to share knowledge, innovate and promote the growth of SMEs.

The SME Finance Forum was established by the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) in 2012 as a knowledge center for data, research and best practice in promoting SME finance. The SME Finance Forum works to expand access to finance for small and medium businesses. The Forum operates a global membership network that brings together financial institutions, technology companies, and development finance institutions to share knowledge, spur innovation, and promote the growth of SMEs.

SME Finance Forum – Initiatives

Global SME Finance Awards 2020

The Global SME Finance Awards recognize financial institutions and FinTech companies for their outstanding achievements in serving SME clients with exceptional products and services. Institutions that have successfully launched an innovative product or service for SME clients, achieved remarkable results in providing finance to SMEs, and specifically women-owned SMEs, or is an innovator in digital financial services, are encouraged to submit an entry in these categories (each institution can be considered for up to two categories).

Endorsed by the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), the Global SME Finance Awards provide an opportunity for institutions to showcase and share their good practices and knowledge, and for the wider SME finance community to learn from their examples. Winners will be announced at the Global SME Finance Forum 2020 in Bangkok.

The Global SME Finance Forum meeting connects more than 700 senior bankers, tech leaders and policymakers from 80 or more countries. It is the largest, most high-level, technically in-depth meeting on SME financing that occurs anywhere in the world each year.

Share your best practice and knowledge in #SMEFinance by sending your entry https://bit.ly/SMEFFAwards2020

Deadline: July 31, 2020 🗓️

Competition – What will SME Finance look like in 2030?

The Global SME Finance Forum 2020 meeting connects more than 700 senior bankers, tech leaders and policymakers from 80 or more countries. It is the largest, most high-level, technically in-depth meeting on SME financing that occurs in the world each year.

To celebrate the new decade, this year’s Global SME Finance Forum will look much farther forward, to imagine where we might be in SME financing a decade from now. Following our practice of leveraging as much knowledge sharing as we can from our membership and our wider public audience, we are launching a public “Call for Insights” on what SME finance will look like in 2030. Best articles will be shared in a special report to be issued at the conference, and the authors will be considered for speaking roles at the event.

📢CALL FOR INSIGHTS: SME Finance Outlook 2030

Do you have a unique vision on what SME finance will look in 2030? Share your ideas with the SME Finance Forum. Read the guidelines and send your essay to https://bit.ly/SMEinsights2030.

Deadline: 31 July ⏰


Trade Finance Global is media partnering with SME Finance Forum’s annual event: Global SME Finance Forum 2020.

Partner Event:

Global SME Finance Forum 2020

To celebrate the new decade, this year’s Global SME Finance Forum will look much farther forward, to imagine where we might be in SME financing a decade from now. The forum will test the limits of prescience by predicting how products, delivery channels, institutions and enabling environments might look 10 years from now.

26th – 28th October, 2020

Bangkok, Thailand