[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-351888-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":81,"doc-detail-351888-en":127},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","tifi-sme-lending-toolkit-learning-brief","TIFI SME Lending Toolkit Learning Brief","","SMEs drive growth and jobs globally but face major financing constraints, leaving many firms in the “missing middle” due to gaps between microfinance and commercial bank lending. The brief explains how credit unions can scale SME lending by leveraging local deposits, trusted community presence, and member-based market knowledge. It describes USAID’s TIFI project support and the SME Lending Toolkit’s purpose: strengthen governance, leadership, market research, institutional diagnostics, and lending processes to expand sustainable, risk-aware SME finance, tailored to country conditions.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/presentations/","Presentations",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/tifi-sme-lending-toolkit-learning-brief/351888/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/tifi-sme-lending-toolkit-learning-brief/351888.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Valentina","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-28","2026-09-22",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",10,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"Why do SMEs struggle to access finance, and what is the “missing middle”?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"Many SMEs are too large for microfinance but too small or informal for commercial bank lending, creating a financing gap. This is often described as the “missing middle,” where access to affordable credit is limited.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How do credit unions help bridge the SME financing gap?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Credit unions can scale SME lending by using their long-standing presence, trusted community relationships, and local market knowledge. Their ability to leverage local deposits supports sustainable, client-centered financing.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What is the SME Lending Toolkit designed to do?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"The Toolkit provides tested tools and templates to prepare credit unions to sustainably serve SMEs. It supports governance and leadership, market research, and institutional diagnostics to adjust strategy, policies, staffing, and risk management for SME lending.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},351888,1791746061,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,93,98,103,108,113,118,123],{"id":85,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},11,90,"presentations",{"id":89,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":90,"show_sort_weight":91,"slug":92},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":94,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":95,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":97},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":99,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":100,"show_sort_weight":101,"slug":102},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":104,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":105,"show_sort_weight":106,"slug":107},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":109,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":110,"show_sort_weight":111,"slug":112},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":114,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":115,"show_sort_weight":116,"slug":117},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":119,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":121,"slug":122},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":124,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":126},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":128},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":129,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":130,"doc_module":22,"category_id":85,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":131,"file_id":132,"file_url":133,"file_type":134,"file_size":135,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":55,"language":136,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":137,"faqs":138,"seo_title":139,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":140,"read_time":33},13056703020460,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/be000253dac470eee5d?_k=1778207105932848923","TIFI SME Lending Toolkit Learning Brief  \nIntroduction  \nSmall and medium enterprises (SMEs) represent approximately 90% of businesses and more than half of jobs across the globe. They contribute up to 40% of GDP in developing countries. However, access to finance is a key constraint to SME growth, with an estimated financing gap of $5.2 trillion annually for 65 million SMEs1. SMEs tend to fall into the “missing middle,” often too large for microfinance but too small or informal for commercial bank lending. While some FinTech solutions show promise in bridging this gap, many SMEs perform better when they have an ongoing relationship with their lender and access to affordable services tailored to their needs.  \nCredit unions show potential to help fill the SME financing gap. They typically are viewed as long-standing trusted partners in their communities. Indeed, international credit union operating principles include a commitment to “support the growth of a broader just, healthy and prosperous community within which the credit union and its members reside.”2 Their ability to leverage local deposits to finance growth positions them to become sustainable, client-centered financial partners with deep knowledge of local markets and a broad member base.  \nUSAID has recognized the potential of credit unions to contribute to social and economic development. Since 2001, the USAID Cooperative Development Program (CDP) has strengthened more than 10,000 cooperativesand credit unions in more than 35 countries3. The USAID CDP Technology and Innovation for Financial Inclusion (TIFI) Project (2018–2024) leveraged the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU)’s long-standing relationship with credit unions in Burkina Faso, Guatemala, Kenya, and Senegal to support SME loan portfolio establishment and/or growth, thereby helping to bridge the financing gap.  \nKEY TAKEAWAYS  \n1. Credit unions can introduce and scale SME lending. Their long-standing presence in the market and large member base gives them an edge in identifying and serving SMEs in need of finance.  \n2. Many credit unions need a change of mindset to make the necessary adjustments to offer market-responsive SME products while managing risk. Comprehensive capacity building can enable the board of directors (BOD) and senior management to lead this change.  \n3. Digitalization and innovation are essential to meeting the financial needs of SMEs.  \n4. Sustainable SME finance includes environmental and social considerations.  \n1 World Bank SME Finance  \n2 WOCCU International Operating Principles  \n3 USAID Cooperative Development Program  \n1 WWW. WOCCU. ORG  \nThe SME Lending Toolkit  \nThrough TIFI, WOCCU collaborated with credit unions to develop an SME Lending Toolkit, a set of tested  \ntools and templates designed to prepare credit unions to sustainably serve SMEs. Several credit unions had previously experimented with SME finance, but high portfolio risk drove them to reduce or stop lending. The SMELending Toolkit helps credit unions evaluate their readiness to design and expand lending to SMEs. It takes a holistic approach, recognizing that financing SMEs can require credit unions to significantly adjust their lending strategy. In turn, this affects not only a credit union’s products but also its policies and procedures, staffing, risk management, compliance, and importantly, governance, business strategy and leadership.  \nThe SME Lending Toolkit increases credit union capacity to:  \n• Introduce lending to target the SME market segment,  \n• Increase the volume and quality of existing SME services among credit unions already serving the market,• Develop staff structure and capacity to serve the SME segment at scale,  \n• Streamline and simplify the SME lending process to optimize costs,  \n• Reduce risk in lending to SMEs with less formal credit histories, financial management, or collateral.  \nTIFI partnered with the national credit union associations in each target country.  \nTIFI Partner Cr","cbCaim9fxG2nARtE","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaim9fxG2nARtE","pdf",997098,"English","# Introduction\n# Key Takeaways\n# The SME Lending Toolkit\n## Capacity Building Outcomes\n## TIFI Partner Credit Union Networks\n## Purpose and Tools\n### Governance and Leadership\n### Institutional Diagnostic","[{\"question\":\"Why do SMEs struggle to access finance, and what is the “missing middle”?\",\"answer\":\"Many SMEs are too large for microfinance but too small or informal for commercial bank lending, creating a financing gap. This is often described as the “missing middle,” where access to affordable credit is limited.\"},{\"question\":\"How do credit unions help bridge the SME financing gap?\",\"answer\":\"Credit unions can scale SME lending by using their long-standing presence, trusted community relationships, and local market knowledge. Their ability to leverage local deposits supports sustainable, client-centered financing.\"},{\"question\":\"What is the SME Lending Toolkit designed to do?\",\"answer\":\"The Toolkit provides tested tools and templates to prepare credit unions to sustainably serve SMEs. It supports governance and leadership, market research, and institutional diagnostics to adjust strategy, policies, staffing, and risk management for SME lending.\"}]","TIFI SME Lending Toolkit Learning Brief | PDF",1790096408]