news - FMO, NpM and Triple Jump organize conference on SME finance

On September 12, FMO, NpM and Triple Jump brought together over 200 people in The Hague to discuss and share ideas about financing SMEs in developing countries.

Keynote speakers from Tilburg University and Business Partners International from South Africa spoke respectively about research findings on reasons for the lack of access to finance by SME’s and about successfully implemented business models and schemes for financing SMEs in Africa. There was also a speech from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs discussing the Dutch Good Growth Fund.

A modern dance performance and a presentation by the WWF were intended to put participants in a creative mood and inspire them to come up with innovative solutions on how to reach and service the under- or unfinanced missing middle. There were break-out sessions about up- and downscaling, social impact, capacity building, and direct investments and venture capital.

Watch the video recap for more on the conference and the topics discussed.