The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced a grant challenge fund in October 2024 to help regulated financial institutions develop technology-enabled banking services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It was not a grant for individual businesses to buy computers or general-purpose software: the focus was on improving SME banking and access to finance. The original expression-of-interest window was two weeks from October 11, 2024, and no later reopening or award results are established in the available official material.
What the SBP challenge fund was designed to do
Through SH&SFD Circular No. 05 of 2024, dated October 11, 2024, SBP announced the Challenge Fund for Technology Adoption & Digitalization of SME Banking. SBP described the fund as a grant to help banks develop innovative technology solutions for SME banking and improve access to finance. The announcement framed digitalization as better financial products, services and delivery channels for SMEs—not a direct small-business technology purchasing subsidy. Read SBP’s circular.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Relationship Management in Banking: Principles and Practice (Chartered Banker Series Book 4) | $56.86 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Rock-It: Textbook | $123.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The circular said the fund would focus on, but not be limited to, the following areas:
- SME loan origination and processing systems.
- Digital financial products, such as digital scorecards and digital supply-chain products.
- Digital onboarding of SMEs for account opening.
- Digital platforms that provide financial education and help customers make informed banking and financial-management decisions.
- Development or upgrading of digital banking platforms, including mobile apps, online banking systems and customer portals.
- Other technology innovations that address barriers SMEs face in obtaining financing.
These use cases span both the lending process and the wider customer relationship: a project might improve how a bank evaluates an SME, brings it into the banking system, provides financial information or delivers services online.
#1 Best Overall
Who could apply, and how partnerships worked
Commercial banks—conventional and Islamic—and other SBP-regulated entities were eligible to apply. A bank could partner with an electronic money institution (EMI) or fintech, but the bank applicant retained lead responsibility for the application and project. The fund therefore invited technology collaboration while keeping a regulated financial institution accountable for the proposal. The circular does not name preferred vendors or establish a provider referral programme.
Grant amount, contribution and project limit
SBP did not set one fixed grant amount in the circular. The amount was to depend on the proposal’s financing needs and its quality or innovation. Each grantee was required to contribute 15% of the total project cost, and a bank could receive one grant. A funded project could run for no more than eight months.
That means the circular provides a cost-sharing requirement and implementation ceiling, but not enough information to calculate a grant for a hypothetical project: the project budget and SBP’s assessment of the proposal would matter. The 2024 expression-of-interest annex provides further proposal context, but its publication does not establish that applications are currently being accepted. View the 2024 EOI annex.
Rank #2
- Format: Book
- Genre: Rock
- Category: General Music and Classroom Publications
- Contributors: By Jane Beethoven and Carman Moore
- Pub Date: 10/1980
Why SBP linked technology adoption with SME finance
SBP’s EOI annex presented technology and innovation as ways to make SME markets more inclusive and expand access to online business and financial solutions. The annex reproduced the following figures and attributions; they describe the context cited in the 2024 document, not independently reverified current estimates:
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches| Measure | Figure and attribution in SBP’s annex |
|---|---|
| SMEs in Pakistan | More than 5.2 million, attributed to SMEDA’s National SME Policy 2021. |
| Share of GDP | 40%, attributed to SMEDA’s National SME Policy 2021. |
| Share of overall exports | 25%, attributed to SMEDA’s National SME Policy 2021. |
| Share of non-agricultural employment | 78%, attributed to SMEDA’s National SME Policy 2021. |
| SME financing and borrowers | Rs 543 billion to 175,000 borrowers as of December 31, 2023, based on SBP data reported in the annex. |
| SBP portfolio target | Double the outstanding SME portfolio to Rs 1,100 billion by 2029, a target stated in the annex. |
The figures distinguish the scale of SMEs’ reported economic role from the level of formal financing cited at the end of 2023. The fund’s proposed technology focus was intended to support banks’ ability to serve this market, although the circular does not report measured results or prove that a particular solution increased lending.
Is the fund open now?
No current application window is established by the available official sources. SBP’s circular invited expressions of interest within two weeks of its October 11, 2024 issuance, making this a 2024 launch rather than evidence of an open grant today. The official circular listings and the circular itself do not establish a later reopening or publish award outcomes in the materials available here. Anyone considering a proposal should confirm directly with SBP whether a new round or update has been announced.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
