SME FINANCE FORUM
Event
Invitation to be featured in the Global SME Finance Forum 2020 – Fintech Pitch
We are now accepting submissions for fintechs to be featured in the prestigious Fintech Pitch during this year’s Global SME Finance Forum 2020 Virtual Edition, 26-28 October. Traditionally, the Fintech Pitch is one of the most exciting features of the SME Finance Forum Annual Meeting, as 10 selected fintechs present their company and technology live onstage to the hundreds of senior industry experts and banks. To accommodate this year’s “Virtual Edition”, the ten selected entries will be featured as live recordings during the event, and all eligible submissions will be included in a “Virtual Marketplace” searchable by all event attendees at their leisure throughout the event and beyond.
We invite interested Fintech to submit their applications prior to September 21st 5PM EDT.
HOW TO APPLY
Interested fintechs should fill out a short application form available here.
Only submissions that include a link to a Vimeo or YouTube video presentation - with appropriate access rights for review and use by SMEFF – will be considered
GUIDELINES
Submissions should be a video of the company representative speaking to a presentation of slides, video footage, or actual product demo, as if the speaker were speaking live to an audience.
Submissions must not exceed 4 minutes in length. Videos that exceed the requested length will be cut at 4:00 minute without further notice.
Submissions should seek to highlight the real tangible benefit of the solution to improve SME access to finance. If practicable, the submission should speak to:
- The details of the solution and use case for deployment.
- Real images of the technology, for perspective.
- Markets in which the solution is live or focused.
- Plans for expanding deployment of the solution.
- Opportunities for collaboration with banks or other industry participants.
KEY DATES
Deadline for submission of applications: September 21st 5PM Eastern Daylight Time
Fintech Pitch selection to be announced: October 12th
Actual presentations on 26th and 27th October (5 on each day)
JUDGING CRITERIA
The key objective of the Fintech Pitch is to share information with industry participants, highlighting technology solutions that are available to lenders to solve the real-world challenges impacting SME access to finance. Submissions will be reviewed by members of the SME Finance Forum and invited industry experts, who will consider the following criteria, among others:
Uniqueness & Innovation
Is the product or solution a new and cutting-edge innovation? How original is the idea compared to solutions that are currently in use?
Reach
What is the number of MSMEs positively affected by the product or solution, whether directly or indirectly, and within what timeframe?
Effectiveness & Impact
Did the project/product/service achieve its objectives and targets? What measures have been used to assess its success? What was the impact to your company and industry?
Dynamism & Scalability
How scalable is the product or solution to accommodate significant demand? How difficult is the implementation and support efforts for the product or solution? How flexible is the product or solution to broader adoption outside of its home country?
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We have compiled some frequently asked questions to guide your submission process. Please read through all of them as they may answer many of your questions. If your question has not been answered, you can send an email requesting clarification.
Is participation in the Fintech Pitch open to anyone?
Yes, financial technology companies across the globe are invited and encouraged to apply. We welcome entries from across the spectrum of institutions of any size or maturity that are serving the SME sector!
On what basis will the 10 presentations be selected?
The key objective of the Fintech Pitch is to share information with industry participants, highlighting technology solutions that are available to lenders to solve the real-world challenges impacting SME access to finance. Submissions will be reviewed by members of the SME Finance Forum and invited industry experts, who will consider the following criteria, among others: Uniqueness & Innovation, Reach, Effectiveness & Impact, and Dynamism & Scalability.
We may consider to include sensitive information/data as part of our submission. Who will have access to our entry and how might this information be used?
We strongly encourage you to share only information and data which you are prepared to see in the public domain. Selected presentations will be presented in a “live” virtual setting during the Global Forum, and subsequently available on the SME Finance Forum website for later review by attendees. All submissions satisfying our eligibility requirements will be posted to the Virtual Marketplace, from which attendees can select to view at their own convenience.
Should we attach any documents to our entry?
No. Please only complete the application form and include the video link by Vimeo or YouTube.
What happens if my presentation is not selected for the Fintech Pitch?
All submissions satisfying our eligibility requirements will be posted to the Virtual Marketplace. This will permit all the attendees to view the presentations at their own convenience.
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For more information, please send your email to smefinanceforum@ifc.org