Our events

Roundtable Discussion (by invitation only)

In an increasingly uncertain global environment—marked by economic volatility, climate pressures, and shifting value chains—SMEs remain central to growth, resilience, and job creation. Yet persistent financing gaps continue to constrain their ability to scale, innovate, and transition toward more sustainable and inclusive business models.

National SME agencies play a pivotal role in addressing these challenges. Positioned at the interface between government, financial institutions, and the private sector, they are uniquely equipped to design and coordinate systemic approaches that go beyond traditional lending—mobilizing partnerships, aligning policy frameworks, and enabling tailored financial and non-financial solutions for SMEs.

This closed roundtable will convene leading SME agencies to exchange practical experiences on how public institutions are catalyzing public–private partnerships (PPPs) to accelerate SME finance at scale.

The session will foster an interactive peer dialogue focused on:

• How SME agencies structure and operationalize PPPs to expand access to finance and crowd in private capital
   
• Innovative instruments and platforms (e.g., digital ecosystems, blended finance, guarantee schemes) used to reach underserved segments, including women-led and smaller SMEs
• Integrating resilience and sustainability objectives into SME support programs, particularly in the face of economic and climate-related shocks.
   
• Key institutional and policy enablers that allow SME agencies to act as effective ecosystem orchestrators

The discussion will emphasize lessons learned, what has worked (and what has not), and practical implementation challenges, with the objective of identifying replicable approaches across different country contexts.

The session will also explore how these insights can inform the SME Finance Forum’s agenda, strengthening cross-country learning and equipping members with actionable models to advance more coordinated, scalable, and inclusive SME finance systems.