Since the financial crisis hit the world more than 10 years ago, the landscape for SME finance has evolved significantly. Credit availability for SMEs has gradually recovered in many countries, as interest rates have generally come down, credit conditions have improved and payment delays have declined. In recent years, we have also witnessed a significant increase in the use of alternative sources of finance by SMEs and entrepreneurs: financial instruments such as leasing, factoring and equity crowdfunding have seen volumes rise, contributing to the diversification of financing instruments and sources for SMEs, in line with the G20/OECD High Level Principles on SME Financing.

Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs 2019: An OECD Scoreboard provides information about SMEs and entrepreneurs’ access to finance over the period 2007-17. Based on data collected for the country profiles and information from demand-side surveys, this report includes indicators on debt, equity and asset-based finance, as well as on financing framework conditions, complemented by information on recent public and private initiatives to support SME access to finance.

SME and entrepreneurship financing trends are monitored through core indicators, listed in Table 1, selected on the criteria of usefulness, availability, feasibility and timeliness (see Annex A for a detailed description). In detail, the core indicators describe and monitor the following key dimensions:

Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs 2019: An OECD Scoreboard provides information on SME financing trends and policies for 46 countries around the world.

This first chapter of the Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs 2019: An OECD Scoreboard analyses trends in SME and entrepreneurship finance over 2007-17, based on data collected for the country scoreboards and information from demand-side surveys. A short overview of the global business environment sets the framework for the analysis of SME financing trends and conditions, focusing in particular on the changes that occurred in 2017 and the first half of 2018. The chapter concludes with an overview of government policy responses put in place to improve SMEs’ access to finance in light of recent developments.

This chapter provides an overview of how intangible assets can be relevant for SMEs to obtain external funding, with a focus on debt financing. It describes the challenges with respect to intangible-backed financing and presents the case for possible policy intervention. Drawing on government initiatives throughout different countries, the chapter concludes with policy implications and lessons learned.The chapter is based on a publication in the OECD SME and Entrepreneurship Policy Papers series by Martin Brassell, CFE consultant, and CEO Inngot Limited, and Kris Boschmans, Policy Analyst, OECD/CFE/SMEE.https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/economics/fostering-the-use-of-intangibles-to-strengthen-sme-access-to-finance_729bf864-en

This chapter contains a snapshot view of SME and entrepreneurship finance developments, as well as the scoreboard with core indicators for countries covered in this report. A more comprehensive discussion is provided in the full country profiles published online

The European Investment Bank Group (EIB Group) – consisting of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the SME-focused European Investment Fund (EIF) – plays a role in improving access to finance for SMEs and midcaps in Europe and global partner countries. The EIB is the European Union’s bank, owned by and representing the interests of the European Union Member States. The EIF specialises in SME financing, and is majority owned by the EIB (58.5%), with the remaining equity held by the European Union (represented by the European Commission, 29.7%) and other European private and public bodies (11.8%).

Principle 1. Identify SME financing needs and gaps and improve the evidence base

Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs: An OECD Scoreboard provides a framework to monitor trends in SMEs’ and entrepreneurs’ access to finance – at the country level and internationally – and supports the formulation and evaluation of policies in this domain.