The awards were announced last evening at the Global SME Finance Forum currently underway at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai, India.
Organized by IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, the Global SME Finance Awards 2023 recognize financial institutions and fintech companies for their outstanding achievements in delivering exceptional products and services to their SME clients.
Commenting on the award, Co-op Bank Group Managing Director Gideon Muriuki said: “In collaboration with IFC and other partners, we have taken time to listen, study and build a most competitive value proposition for SMEs intended to support them realise the goals they have set for themselves, and we are very encouraged by the successful outcomes we continue to see in the marketplace. This award is for Kenyan SMEs too.”
Organized by the SME Finance Forum and endorsed by the G20’s 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 to learn from them!
Matthew Gamser, CEO of the SME Finance Forum said: “Every year sees more applications from more countries, and this year was our biggest increase ever. The competition also gets tougher every year. All who’ve been recognized in any way should be very, very proud. This competition makes me very positive that we are on the right track to greatly narrow the SME finance gap.”
Launched in 2018 and now in its sixth year, the Global SME Finance Awards capture the effective and successful practices of financiers, honoring the innovative products and services for SME clients that have achieved impressive results in expanding finance and services to SMEs and the institutions that undertake those efforts.
Qamar Saleem, the Incoming CEO of the SME Finance Forum said: “I am delighted to see such great SME finance initiatives highlighted through the awards. While all applicants are winners in their own rights, I want to give a special congratulations to awards recipients for leading the way in the industry. By supporting SMEs, we are not just providing access to financial services, we are also changing lives!”
