The
meeting focused on key areas of preparation for the upcoming OECD
Scoreboard on SME and Entrepreneurship Finance (2026 edition) – one
of the OECD’s main comparative reviews that serves as a tool for
benchmarking and monitoring SME access to finance across member
countries. The Scoreboard includes more than 40 indicators covering
both traditional bank lending and alternative sources such as
factoring, crowdfunding, private equity, and venture capital.
Alongside quantitative data, the report provides reviews of
government policies, support measures, regulatory changes, and
institutional reforms affecting SME finance.
In
addition, systemic measures to broaden the investor base, engage
institutional investors, and increase late-stage financing rounds
were discussed. National case studies were presented from France
(Tibi Initiative), the United Kingdom (British Growth Fund), and
Germany (WIN Initiative), all aimed at stimulating private capital
participation in investments into innovative SMEs and startups. The
role of venture capital market development was highlighted as a
driver of economic diversification and technological competitiveness.
A
dedicated session addressed gender aspects of financial inclusion.
Within the framework of the WE-Fi Code (Women Entrepreneurs Finance
Initiative), a Guide for Collecting Gender-Disaggregated Data was
presented, which includes methodologies for classifying and
monitoring indicators reflecting women’s access to finance. This
tool is designed to improve statistical accounting in the field of
women’s entrepreneurship - including data on approved loans,
repayment terms, participation in grants, and venture investments.
Participants stressed the importance of integrating such data into
national systems to develop more accurate and inclusive financial
measures.
For
the Secretariat of the NCP of Kazakhstan, participation in the event
was a valuable opportunity to update knowledge on advanced OECD
country approaches to assessing SME financial inclusion, as well as
to gain methodological guidance for developing national analytical
tools in this area. The data presented at the meeting, including
thematic developments on venture financing, gender analytics, and
mechanisms for supporting inclusive access to finance, will be taken
into account when preparing relevant sections of national reports and
analytical materials, including monitoring the implementation of the
OECD Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct. Of particular
importance for the future work of the NCP Kazakhstan is the
integration of these areas into the context of regional cooperation -
primarily in promoting OECD standards among Central Asian countries,
where issues of sustainable and equitable SME access to financial
resources are becoming increasingly relevant.
