The SMEs Policy Forum, a crucial event addressing the topic of 'Access to Capital—Unlocking Bottlenecks,' was a significant platform. Representatives from BIDV, experts, and speakers shared valuable experiences, aiming to help enterprises remove difficulties and obstacles to accessing capital. With its vital goal of assisting enterprises to gradually access the evaluation criteria and credit rating system developed by VINASME, this forum is a significant step. Through such forums, we can collectively work towards the betterment of SMEs.

The Vietnam Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (VINASME) organized the forum with the Bussiness Development Department (Ministry of Planning and Investment). This activity is part of the Improving Private Sector Competitiveness (IPSC) project sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). During the forum, the delegates stated:

Capital - considered the lifeblood of enterprises - is being bottlenecked, with a lack of capital causing many difficulties for the business operations of enterprises. The government has introduced financial support programs to help enterprises with interest rates. However, the actual implementation has shown that enterprises still face many difficulties and limitations in accessing these programs. With its crucial goal of helping enterprises gradually access the evaluation criteria and credit scoring system developed by VINASME, this forum is a significant step. From this, enterprises can identify their strengths and weaknesses to improve and refine their processes to enhance competitiveness and access credit sources more efficiently.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Phuong - Deputy Director of the BIDV Corporate Bạnking Department - spoke at the Forum The BIDV representative who participated at the Forum, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Phuong - Deputy Director of the Corporate Banking Department - said:

BIDV is one of the pioneering banks in implementing the policies and initiatives of the Government to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). BIDV is also a strategic partner of VINASME, and the two sides have signed a cooperation agreement to support VINASME member enterprises in accessing BIDV's preferential credit packages. In addition, BIDV has collaborated with VINASME to organize several seminars to enhance the capacity of enterprises to access and use loans effectively.

BIDV also closely cooperates with ministries, associations, and domestic and international organizations to implement activities to improve enterprises' financial and business capacity. Specifically, BIDV cooperates with the Enterprise Development Agency, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), and the Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs Council (VWEC) to implement solutions to help enterprises increase their access to finance and preferential loan packages from BIDV. At the same time, BIDV coordinates with the State Bank of Vietnam and the Asian Development Bank to organize forums on "Promoting the Gender Equality Reform Program in the Asia-Pacific region" to remove financial and non-financial barriers for women-owned small and medium enterprises (WSMEs) and enhance their market access.

With technical support from ADB, BIDV has recently developed and deployed the SMEasy digital platform (//smeasy.openapi.smartbanking.yes88play.xyz/ܫ), which includes various solutions to support small and medium-sized enterprises, such as an online training academy, a channel to help businesses' digital transformation, business networking, and product advertising. BIDV built the SMEasy digital platform on a website and a mobile app, with an interface specially designed for female entrepreneurs and a set of solutions dedicated to women business owners.

BIDV, as the first commercial bank in Vietnam to sign a framework agreement for indirect lending with the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund (Ministry of Planning and Investment), is dedicated to supporting SMEs. At the same time, as the best-performing bank contributed to the fund, BIDV has developed a diverse range of credit packages and banking products specifically for SMEs, demonstrating our commitment to their success. Moreover, we have sought affordable and preferential funding sources from reputable international organizations such as IFC, World Bank, ADB, and AFD to strengthen SMEs' financial capacity and sustainable development. Our efforts aim to provide SMEs with the necessary resources to thrive in the future.