METHODOLOGY
Global Finance will select the World’s Best SME Banks 2025 based on independent research and entries submitted by banks. Global Finance’s editors will consider and base their decisions on objective and subjective factors. Entries are not necessary in order to win. However, experience shows entries increase the chance of success. In many cases, entrants are able to present information and perspectives not readily available to the editors. All submissions are strictly confidential. Performance will be judged from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024.
Global Finance will apply a proprietary algorithm to shorten the list of contenders. The algorithm weighs a range of criteria for relative importance, including knowledge of SME markets and their needs, breadth of products and services, market standing and innovation.
After narrowing the field, Global Finance will examine the final criteria, including the scope of coverage, size and experience of staff, customer service, risk management, range of products and services, execution skills and use of technology. In the case of a tie, the editors will lean toward local providers rather than global institutions. The editors will also favor private-sector banks over government-owned institutions. The winners will be the banks and providers that best serve the specialized needs of SMEs.
ENTRY PREPARATION
Take advantage of this opportunity to participate in the review process.
Global Finance maintains best journalistic practices to protect the confidentiality of information supplied. Global Finance will respect confidentiality requests for material not in the public domain. However, any information that is not for publication must be clearly identified as such in the entry. Please provide concise responses to the following:
1. Key financials: SME business as a percentage of total business; value of SME loans issued from April 1, 2023,
to March 31, 2024, and the total value of all SME loans issued.
2. Please submit data to describe the scale of your SME banking operations, including any league tables or other comparisons with competitors.
3. Details of SME offerings that include types of loans; business, financial and tax advisory services; operational outsourcing strategic alliances; and locally targeted programs, specifically in the past year.
4. Data indicating market knowledge such as: firm’s market share of the SME market, tenure within the SME market, and number of SME clients served currently.
5. Description of innovative steps taken in the past year to improve the breadth and quality of SME services including: deployment of new technological platforms, AI implementation, strategic capital investments, and industry alliances.
6. Please include the following information as a cover sheet to your submission to ensure that it is processed properly:
• Name of specific entity submitting (eg. parent or subsidiary) exactly as it should appear on
awards-related announcements
• Award(s) Being Submitted For
• Submission Contact Name/Title/Email
• Communications/Marketing Contact/Name/Title/Email
How to Enter
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