In 2018, Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) invited Andrii Hidulian, founder of SME Banking Club and SME Banking Agency, to carry out a project to review and update the RBI Group’s SME banking strategy in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).
The project included the following:
- analysis of the current level of banking services for the SME segment in CEE;
- identification of new opportunities for RBI in the SME segment in the region;
- analysis of potential RBI initiatives and prioritization;
- a development of a plan for the implementation of key initiatives.
Between July 2019 and December 2020, AFC, in cooperation with the SME Banking Club from Ukraine, assisted Oschadbank in developing the necessary internal capacity and adjusting the processes for the provision of efficient lending services to eligible MSMEs.
Preparation of a development strategy for the SME segment, considering market conditions, its potential, and the bank’s capabilities.
KfW invited SME Banking Club experts to conduct an analytical study to understand the specifics of the region’s business, financing needs, financial institutions’ activity, and lending development plans.