European Commission announces blockchain defense grants
March 30th, 2020 – The European Commission has announced a new program of defense grants for blockchain concepts, in a bid to encourage development of new technologies for defense applications. According to a tender document for the European Defense...
Natwest unveils £5bn coronavirus support package for small businesses
March 9th, 2020 – Natwest today said it will pledge £5bn of funding to support small and medium-sized businesses across the UK amid disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The bank, which recently rebranded from RBS, said the cash injection ...
Commission approves Danish guarantee scheme for SMEs affected by #Coronavirus outbreak
March 24th, 2020 – The European Commission has found a DKK 1 billion (approx. €130 million) Danish guarantee scheme for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) affected by coronavirus outbreak to be in line with EU State aid rules. The schemes w...
Bank launches $3 billion coronavirus fight in Africa
March 27th, 2020 – The African Development Bank (AfDB) has raised an exceptional $3 billion in a three-year bond to help alleviate the economic and social impact the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic will have on livelihoods and Africa’s economies. ...
63% of the SMEs in Europe prefer existing business account providers, reveals Revolut Business’ report
March 25th, 2020 – Revolut Business released the findings of its “2020 Vision: Taking a closer look at antiquated banking practices” report, based on a survey of 602 UK, French and Polish SMEs. The report revealed that SMEs are still choosing tr...
Revolut research: 42% of SMEs are looking to change banks in the next 12 months
March 25th, 2020 – A paper published by Revolut, entitled “2020 Vision: Taking a closer look at antiquated business practices”, states that 42% of SMEs are looking to change banks in the next 12 months, owing to changing expectations and demands...
New report from UN Economic Commission for Europe measures progress on Global Goals
March 17th, 2020 – As all eyes, hearts and minds focus on the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) garnered attention on Tuesday when a new UN report revealed that only ten countries in the European region have lev...
World Bank Group Increases COVID-19 Response to $14 Billion To Help Sustain Economies, Protect Jobs
March 17th, 2020 – The World Bank and IFC’s Boards of Directors approved today an increased $14 billion package of fast-track financing to assist companies and countries in their efforts to prevent, detect and respond to the rapid spread of COVID-...
B2B Payments Rethinking The SME Loan Underwriting Model In Southeast Asia
March 10th, 2020 – The small business credit gap is a global issue, a problem that banks and FinTechs continue to hack away at, yet one that remains stubbornly persistent. In markets like Southeast Asia, high rates of credit-invisible, underbanked s...
Here is the EU Strategy for SMEs and Digital Europe, Digital Assets on the List
March 10th, 2020 – The European Commission posted its “SME Strategy for a sustainable and digital Europe.” The strategy is in recognition that “SMEs play a key role in Europe’s industrial fabric, providing two out of three jobs, and are cent...
