Registered as a micro, small, or medium enterprise, based on the SME definitions of the applicant’s country or World Bank standards:
No more than 300 employees
Annual turnover not exceeding US$15 million
Stage of Business:
Operational for at least 1 year
Can demonstrate active business operations (e.g. customer traction, products/services in market)
Sector Alignment:
Operates in sectors aligned with the Forum’s themes:
Financial inclusion
Digital finance
SME banking/lending
E-commerce and trade enablement
Women-led or impact-driven enterprises
Creative industries
Agri and supply chain finance
Geographic Representation:
Priority given to SMEs from South Africa, emerging and developing markets, or underserved regions within high-income countries
Stage of Verification Documents (compulsory to submit at least one):
Business registration certificate
Brief company profile or pitch deck
Reference or nomination from a partner financial institution, accelerator, or development agency (preferred but not mandatory)
Co-hosts
The Global SME Finance Forum 2023 was co-hosted by our member SIDBI and the Indian Banks' Association.
I’m a big believer in harnessing technology to improve performance, efficiency, compliance and reliability. It’s win-win-win: better business performance, more jobs, greater inclusion, better lender performance and better capital deployment.
