Access to Finance

Providing financial solutions for SMEs

The Sector

As in many countries, limited access to finance is a major impediment SME' growth. include the inefficiency of the banking system, traditional collateral-based lending, and a dearth of innovative financial instruments capable of reaching smaller firms.

JOBS’ Vision and Strategy

Tunisia JOBS assists the financial sector (including banks, microenterprise, fintech, and leasing institutions) to streamline the credit/investment process, including the introduction of digital and other innovative technologies. Our aim is to significantly increase access to capital for SMEs as well as microenterprises

Our Work

In addition to responding to the pandemic, JOBS’ work is focused in three key areas:
(1) making the lending processes of leading financial institutions easier, more effective, and faster, and thus accelerating credit to SMEs; (2) helping to develop new innovative digital tools; and (3) facilitating investments to SMEs by improving deal flow and transparency.

Making the lending process easier, more effective, and faster

JOBS is providing support to financial institutions to improve their credit processes and to develop digital tools that facilitate increased lending. We are also supporting banks to adopt credit-process and risk-management improvements, establish benchmarking criteria for loans, and develo new scorecards to review credit applications. JOBS is also supporting financial partners to enhance their value chain (VC) financing model by creating innovative, scalable new features for VC loans.

Helping to develop new innovative digital tools

JOBS is helping partners to develop digital applications and fintech products to support their digital transformation and help them reach new SME customers throughout Tunisia. For example, JOBS supports Advans Tunisie as well as Attijari Bank to launch digital lending platforms for Baobab, Attijari Bank, and Tunisie Leasing and Factoring (TLF). JOBS is working with government and private sector stakeholders to help Tunisians implement crowdfunding to finance a project or venture by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically through the internet.

Facilitating investments to SMEs by improving deal flow, transparency, and governance

JOBS has supported a consortium of stakeholders including the Ministry of Finance, the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC), and the Tunisian Private Equity Association (ATIC) to create a new, more efficient, privately managed model to significantly increase regional investment. JOBS is also supporting the CDC, ATIC, and the Tunisian Stock Market (BVMT), to design and develop the first online investment platform in Tunisia JoussourInvest.tn, linking SMEs with fund managers to accelerate investment in SMEs. Finally, JOBS has also helped the CDC to adopt new instruments to better measure the social impact of its investments.

Impact To Date

JOBS has facilitated financing $400 million to 32,522 businesses throughout the country:

  • Mobilized +$217 million increased access to credit reaching 14,381 enterprises through partners
  • Through grants, leveraged $49 million in loans from microlenders, benefiting 18,069 micro and small businesses
  • Facilitated $132 million in investments for 100 companies
  • In sum, JOBS facilitated about $400 million financing to 32,522 beneficiaries