2 SME survey analysis

To acquire the data presented in this analysis, Trade Finance Global (TFG) surveyed firms in the target regions to gain a better understanding of SMEs’ trade finance usage norms and their propensity to pay for new or additional trade finance products and services.

The survey was designed to gain insight into firms based on numerous factors, including business type, operating location, annual revenue, use of third-party financing, average inventory levels, current number of lenders, current debt utilisation, current cost of debt financing, and letter of credit use.

The survey asked respondents to indicate their level of interest in a hypothetical new market entrant seeking to provide trade, inventory, and invoice finance. The survey also investigated the likelihood of SMEs to pay for these services at a 4%-8% per annum price point.

The survey was distributed between 22nd October 2021 and 17th November 2021 to firms that operate in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

The full list of survey questions can be found in Appendix 4.1.