Downscaling: SME Lending Support to a Commercial Bank

In 2008, LFS provided SME lending support to a commercial bank in Saint Lucia. When the assignment started, the Bank had no well defined SME finance business line. Instead, it carried out SME lending through its retail and corporate departments.

LFS assisted the partner bank in gaining a more detailed understanding of the St. Lucian SME market and its specific banking needs. Based on this understanding, we supported the bank in developing and introducing a best practice SME finance approach. We developed a business plan for SME finance and trained staff on the new SME finance procedures and tools. The main aim was to grow the market share and improve profitability of the SME business of the partner bank.