Small and Medium Enterprise Foundation (SME Foundation)

What Small and Medium Enterprise Foundation (SME Foundation) does

The Small and Medium Enterprise Foundation (SME Foundation) is the apex autonomous body under the Ministry of Industries of Bangladesh, established by the Government to coordinate national SME development. It serves approximately 1 crore 18 lakh cottage, micro, small, and medium enterprise (CMSME) entrepreneurs across Bangladesh, with female entrepreneurs, startup entrepreneurs, and geographic SME clusters as priority segments. Primary beneficiaries include SMEs in manufacturing, services, readymade garments, handicrafts, leather, and jute/agriculture, with 70% of entrepreneurs located outside Dhaka.

Name

Small and Medium Enterprise Foundation (SME Foundation)

Legal name

Small and Medium Enterprise Foundation (SME Foundation)

Website

https://smef.gov.bd

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SME Foundation is the Government of Bangladesh's autonomous body under the Ministry of Industries that supports cottage, micro, small, and medium enterprise entrepreneurs nationwide through credit wholesaling, incubation, fairs, training, and digital platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

SME Development Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)

akta.pro primary industry

SME & Entrepreneurship Development (Trade-Linked) (BPADAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

SME Lending Platforms & Embedded SME Credit (FSAKAGAJ), SME, Microfinance & Financial Inclusion Facilities (BPADACAI), SME Lending & Working Capital Platforms (FSAGAJAA)

Keywords

• SME development services
• Credit wholesaling
• Business incubation
• Women entrepreneurship
• Policy advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: SME Foundation operates as a government-established autonomous body funded by the Government of Bangladesh through the Ministry of Industries. The foundation does not generate commercial revenue but receives government allocations for SME development activities.
2. Credit Wholesaling Program: The foundation operates a credit wholesaling program where it provides funds to partner banks and financial institutions which then lend to SMEs. Interest and repayment flows back through the system.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SME Foundation is a government-established autonomous body under the Ministry of Industries of Bangladesh that provides comprehensive small and medium enterprise (SME) development services. Its core activities include operating a Credit Wholesaling Program that channels funds to SMEs through 30+ partner banks, running Business Incubation Centers in Dhaka and Chittagong, organizing national and regional SME Product Fairs, providing training and advisory services, supporting women entrepreneurship through SheTrades Bangladesh Hub, facilitating cluster development, and conducting policy advocacy and research.

Product overview

SME Foundation is a statutory body under Bangladesh's Ministry of Industries that operates a multi-pronged SME development ecosystem rather than a single unified product. Its core digital infrastructure consists of multiple interconnected platforms: the SMEF Service Platform (https://services.smef.gov.bd/) for loan applications and service access, the BDS Portal (https://bds.smef.gov.bd/) for business development services, the CWMS for credit monitoring, the National SME Statistics Dashboard, and the SMEF Suppliers Platform for Women Entrepreneurs. Complementing these digital platforms are physical programs including the SME Business Incubation Center in Dhaka and Chattogram, the annual National SME Product Fair (12th edition in December 2025), regional fairs, SheTrades Bangladesh Hub in partnership with ITC, training programs, the SME Women Award and National SME Entrepreneur Award, and a Credit Wholesaling Program for loan distribution. The Foundation also publishes the International Journal of SME Development (IJSMED) and maintains product directories, cluster catalogs, and advisory services, collectively supporting SME growth through finance, technology, market access, policy advocacy, and capacity building.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SMEF: Short form abbreviation of Small and Medium Enterprise Foundation used for internal services and platforms
• SheTrades Bangladesh Hub
• SME Business Incubation Center
• Credit Wholesaling Management System (CWMS)

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Trade Centre (ITC) - SheTrades Commonwealth+ ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2025Joint initiative for training of trainers on UK market access for women entrepreneurs. UK International Development funded program helping women entrepreneurs prepare for LDC Graduation by facilitating easier entry to UK markets through SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) BangladeshcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2025UNDP Bangladesh provides technical assistance for Blended Finance programme targeting climate-vulnerable cottage, micro, and small entrepreneurs. The programme was launched in pilot form on 10 December 2025 to create sustainable financing opportunities for climate-affected MSEs, especially women entrepreneurs in climate-vulnerable areas.
• Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute (BFTI)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 November 2025MoU signed for joint programs to develop small and medium entrepreneurs. Collaboration areas include trade facilitation, export diversification, research for LDC graduation preparation, training and skill development, policy support, and information exchange for CMSME sector entrepreneurs.
• Standard Chartered BankminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 18 November 2025Joint training program on Management Excellence and Financial Literacy for women entrepreneurs. Standard Chartered provides collaboration support for SME capacity building programs.
• International Trade Centre (ITC) SheTrades InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023SME Foundation established SheTrades Bangladesh Hub in 2023 in partnership with ITC, a joint agency of the United Nations and WTO. The hub serves as a resource centre for Bangladeshi women entrepreneurs, equipping them with market-relevant skills and facilitating access to market and investment opportunities. Since its inception, over 200 women-led businesses have joined the community.
• 30+ Partner Banks and Financial InstitutionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of banks and financial institutions for Credit Wholesaling Program providing SME loans. List includes public and private sector banks participating in revolving fund distribution.
• Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB) and training institutionsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner institutions for conducting entrepreneur training programs under capacity building initiatives.
• Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment investment promotion agency collaborating on SME development initiatives.
• National Productivity Organisation (NPO) Bangladesh and Asian Productivity Organisation (APO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint technical expert service program on SME productivity with AI-powered solutions.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India): India's principal government financial institution for promotion, financing, and development of the MSME sector. Most directly comparable to SME Foundation as a state-backed apex body providing credit, capacity building, and policy advocacy to small enterprises.
• NSIC (National Small Industries Corporation), India: Indian government enterprise under the Ministry of MSME that supports MSMEs through incubation, training, technology support, and market linkage programs. Comparable mandate and program mix - physical incubation centers, training, cluster development, and product fairs.
• Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) South Africa: South Africa's national agency for small enterprise development providing non-financial support (training, mentorship, market access) and coordinating access to finance. Comparable mandate for SME development services beyond pure lending.
• SME Corporation Malaysia: Malaysian government agency under the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development coordinating SME policy, advisory, financing facilitation, and capacity building. Comparable apex-body role for SME development in a single country.
• BRAC Bangladesh: Bangladesh-headquartered development organization with extensive SME, microfinance, women entrepreneurship, and skills programs. Comparable in operating at scale across SME development, financial inclusion, and women-led business support in Bangladesh.
• PKSF (Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation), Bangladesh: Bangladesh apex development organization channeling funds to microfinance and small enterprise programs. Comparable in channeling wholesale credit and capacity-building funding to grassroots SMEs in Bangladesh.

Broad incumbents

• Bangladesh Bank (Central Bank): Bangladesh's central bank sets SME credit policy and refinance schemes for commercial banks. SME Foundation coordinates with Bangladesh Bank for Credit Wholesaling Program implementation - comparable regulator for SME credit, though at monetary policy level.
• BIDA (Bangladesh Investment Development Authority): Bangladesh's lead investment promotion agency under the Prime Minister's Office, coordinating investment facilitation, FDI, and broader economic development. Adjacent government mandate with overlap in supporting enterprise growth and partnerships.

Emerging players

• International Trade Centre (ITC) SheTrades: UN/WTO joint agency running the SheTrades Initiative for women entrepreneurs, through which SME Foundation operates the SheTrades Bangladesh Hub. Platform partner driving the women entrepreneurship program.
• UNDP Bangladesh: UN agency providing technical assistance for the Blended Finance programme for climate-vulnerable MSEs. Programmatic partner complementing government SME development with climate finance innovation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCoBsLU5bfemB2EgH8-RCxcQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/SME.Foundation.bd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smefoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Small and Medium Enterprise Foundation (SME Foundation)