FSDF e-Campus | Certified Expert in SME Finance

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are important engines of growth, jobs and social cohesion. However, the creation, survival and growth of SMEs is often hampered by access to finance. Thus, access to SME finance has become a key priority in developing and transition countries. Since the early nineties, Frankfurt School of Finance & Management is combining advisory work, training, and policy advice with applied research. Our goal is to support financial institutions in developing and transition countries establish good practices in Micro and SME finance.

This online course, which is based on Frankfurt School’s broad experience in practical project work and theoretical business school education programs, is tailored to the needs of mid-level managers and loan officers active or interested in SME Finance.

This course is also available in French.

Updated Content: This course is currently being updated to enhance its relevance with up-to-date data. Register below for the new version to be launched in March 2025.

What Do We Offer?

Eight units including video lectures, a PDF script laying the theoretical foundation, examples, practical exercises, online tests and case studies.
A discussion forum for course related issues as well as for exchange of opinions and experiences with peers, tutors and the FSDF e-Campus team.
Personalized support from your e-Campus.
The possibility to attain a Frankfurt School Certificate after passing the final exam or a confirmation of course completion after completing the course. After passing the final exam, you will earn 6 ECTS (academic credit points of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System). The points can be credited to other academic learning programs.

Tuition fees*

Regular Tuition Fee: EUR 1,550

Early Bird Fee: EUR 1,350 (by January 15)

Discounts:

10% group discount (for 2 or more participants working for the same instutiton, informed to us before by an email)
10% for FS Alumni
For company packages, please contact us

Payment Options

Bank Transfer (bank fees to be covered by the participants)
Credit Card
PayPal

Payment in instalments is not possible.

*Subject to change

Target Audience

MFI, loan officers, credit officers, management-members of credit committee
MFI & Bank, (M)SME Market Development dept.
Corporate clients SMEs and Midcaps
Bank – (retail/micro and small enterprises):

Front office: Loan Officer

Back office: Credit Analyst, Credit officer, credit manager, risk analyst, underwriter, collections officer

Workload

The course takes approx. 6 months assuming 5-7 hours of self-study per week. It consists of 8 units which build upon each other. You will take the units in sequence and will need to pass an online multiple choice test before accessing the next unit. The course includes 3 assignments which you will need to submit at a fixed deadline.

You are not sure if you manage to complete the course within 6 months? No worries! You can apply for a course extension (6 more months) against an administrative fee.

Dates

Course Start	Course End	Registration	Early Bird
Sept. 1	Feb. 29	Jun. 1 - Sept. 1	by Jul. 15
Mar. 1	Aug. 31	Dec. 1 - Mar. 1	by Jan. 15

Registration

Registration for the March intake is now open. Register by January 15 to take advantage of our early bird discount.

Register here

Course Details*

SMEs are important engines of growth, job creation, and social cohesion. However, the creation, survival and growth of SMEs are often hampered by insufficient access to finance. Thus, access to SME finance has become a key priority in developing and transition countries. The Certified Expert in SME Finance course is designed to equip financial sector employees with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand and engage with SMEs effectively, leveraging tools and strategies to foster sustainable and inclusive financial relationships. This six-month online certification programme provides a comprehensive overview of the SME Finance sector, combining theoretical knowledge with practical applications to prepare participants for the challenges of a rapidly changing SME landscape.

Course Objectives

The primary objective of this course is to develop proficient SME finance professionals who can understand the main SME finance principles, focusing on credit risk analysis, the lending decision process and appropriate risk-taking intermediation, as well as the new emerging opportunities and tools in the SME industry. Participants will gain a deep understanding of financial and cash flow analysis, loan portfolio, and the integration of sustainable practices into business strategies. By the end of the course, participants will be capable of making sound financing decisions.

*Subject to change

The course consists of the following 8 mandatory units

Unit 1

Credit Analysis – Collecting & Understanding Information

Identify the Key Information Needed for Credit Analysis Basics
Explain the Sources and Types of Financial Information
Interpret and Extract Relevant Data from Financial Statements
Understand the Role of Non-Financial Factors in Credit Analysis

Unit 2

Credit Analysis – Verifying Information

Understand the Importance of Verification in Credit Analysis
Identify Methods for Verifying Financial Information
Develop Skills to Detect Potential Red Flags and Inconsistencies
Apply Due Diligence Processes to Non-Financial Information

Unit 3

Credit Analysis – Financial Analysis

Understand the Fundamentals of Financial Analysis for Credit Assessment
Calculate and Interpret Key Financial Ratios
Perform Trend and Comparative Analysis
Assess Financial Stability and Risk

Unit 4

Credit Analysis – Cash Flow Analysis

Understand the Importance of Cash Flow Analysis in Credit Decisions
Differentiate Between Types of Cash Flows
Analyse Cash Flow Statements to Evaluate Liquidity and Solvency
Assess the Impact of Cash Flow on Debt Repayment Capacity

Unit 5

Credit Analysis – Loan Portfolio

Understand the Components and Objectives of a Loan Portfolio Strategy
Identify and Assess Credit Risks Associated with Loan Portfolios
Develop and Implement Risk Mitigation Strategies
Monitor and Manage Loan Portfolios Effectively
Evaluate the Performance of the Loan Portfolio

Unit 6

Introduction to SMEs

Define what constitutes an SME, incl. size, scope, and types of businesses
The economic impact of SMEs globally and their role in job creation, innovation, and economic growth

Unit 7

Elective Unit (Choose 1 out of 3)

Unit 7A: SME & Sustainable Finance

Understand the concept of sustainable finance and its importance for financial institutions and SMEs
Analyse how sustainable finance practices can help SME banks and MFIs manage risks, enhance resilience, and achieve long-term growth

Unit 7B: SME & Inclusive Finance

Explain the principles of inclusive finance and its significance for financial institutions and SMEs, particularly in underserved markets
Evaluate strategies to increase financial inclusion for SME banks and MFIs, focusing on access to finance for diverse and marginalized business owners

Unit 7C: Develop Skills in Building SME Relationships

Learn techniques for sourcing and originating SME clients through various channels
Understand the process of pipeline building, including identifying potential clients, qualifying leads, and managing the client acquisition process
Explore best practices for nurturing and maintaining long-term relationships with SME clients to foster trust and loyalty

Unit 8

Elective Unit (Choose 1 out of 2)

Unit 8A: Utilize Digital Tools for SME Finance

Understand the range of digital tools available to support SME finance, including online platforms, mobile banking, and fintech solutions
Evaluate the benefits and challenges of using digital tools in engaging with SMEs, such as enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and improving customer experiences

Unit 8B: Apply CRM Systems to SME Relationship Management

Understand the purpose and functionality of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems in managing SME relationships
Learn how to use CRM tools to track interactions, manage client data, and identify opportunities for cross-selling and upselling financial products and services to SMEs.
Develop strategies for leveraging CRM data to enhance decision-making and personalize financial offerings for SMEs.

Training Approach

The flexibility of our courses offers you the opportunity to follow your own schedule and to combine daily work with professional development.

The high quality offered will immediately improve your daily job performance as well as the performance of your institution.

This program is flexible and self-paced. It offers some online live sessions, such as introduction and final exam preparation sessions. These sessions will be recorded for those who cannot attend live.

Training Material

Video Lectures

Introvideos: After viewing the lectures, participants will have a basic understanding of each topic and will be able to classify importance and relevance of different techniques and aspects in a broader context.
Web-based Presentations: Web based presentation complement the scripts and give additional input on important topics.

Online Tests

Each unit ends with an online test comprising a set of 10 - 15 multiple choice questions. Only after having successfully completed an online test you will gain access to the next unit.

Reading Material

A PDF script is for most of our courses the main studying material. This reading material provides basic concepts and principles applicable to the subject of each unit.

Assignments

The key to successful learning is the immediate use of newly acquired knowledge and the transfer of theory into practice. Our online courses are therefore supplemented by mandatory assignments.

Discussion Forum

A course discussion forum enables the interaction between participants and trainers and facilitates the exchange of experiences as well as possibilities to ask questions or get clarifications.

Suggestions & Recommendations

This course gives you the flexibility to decide on the timing and pace of your learning experience. However we will provide you with recommendations for you to take as much as possible from this course.

Your schedule: We will provide you a course schedule including voluntary and mandatory deadlines. The course schedule serves as a guideline for your personal learning schedule and will help you complete the programme within the given time frame.

Exercises: Even though the exercises in the script are not mandatory we strongly advise that you use them as an opportunity to check your knowledge and to prepare for the final exam.

Networking Opportunities: Use the forum to introduce yourself to your peer participants and to start interesting discussions.

Final Exam

Passing a final examination is a requirement for obtaining your certificate.

Location: The final exam takes place online
Duration: The final exam takes 2 hours.
Costs: An additional final exam fee will be charged for the second and third final exam attempt
Certificate: Your digital certificate will be available upon passing the final examination.

If you do not wish to take the final exam, you will receive a confirmation of course participation after completing the course.

Course Lecturers

Mike Hill

Mike is an SME specialist with over 40 years experience. He has been delivering SME training courses for over 35 years. He worked for Barclays Bank PLC from 1971 to 2004, in a number of Area Director roles. He won national awards for sales and service. He became a consultant in 2004. He is a Senior bank advisor specialising in SME finance and sales.

He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of bankers in England. He was an examiner for the Institutes lending qualification. He has a Bachelors degree in business management. He has two separate coaching diplomas.

He has handled diverse loans credit portfolios, and managed teams of lending officers. He has carried out formal training and direct coaching for senior banking executives, bank managers, loan officers and bank staff. His technical skills are complemented by proven excellent management skills, with the ability to rapidly assess needs, mentor teams, and achieve results. He acted as a senior auditor for several years specialising in the assessment of SME credit risk portfolios.

As an experienced credit manager and trainer, he has written and developed specialised in training of SME risk analysis and business development on assignments with partner banks since 1992. He has acted as consultant in several SME downscaling projects. He has been engages on many SME assignments in Russia, Kuwait, Syria, Egypt Croatia, Malaysia, Iceland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Mongolia, Albania, China, Ethiopia, Bulgaria, Germany, Armenia and Turkey. Mike is very approachable and he is committed to ensuring that all students achieve their full potential in the Certified Expert in SME finance course.

Kairat Shalabay

Kairat is a Frankfurt School’s international advisor in SME banking and microfinance since 2010 and one of the leading consultants and trainers at Frankfurt School Competence Center in SME Finance. He is regularly engaged in the implementation of assignments in Eastern Europe and Asia. 

Kairat studied Economics in Turkey and holds a Master of Science degree in Finance from Exeter University, UK. 

He is experienced in strategic planning, designing operational procedures, product development, development of lending methodologies and processes, credit risk management, and training.

Rainer Fitz

Mr Fitz is a finance specialist with over 25 years of experience in banking, insurance and industry.

A Frankfurt School-IAS consultant since 2004, he has been team leader and project director of programmes to encourage SME financing, including banking strategy for entering new business sectors and new product development. In this role he spent several years in East Africa, Southern Africa and Turkey.

Mr Fitz holds a Master's degree in Economics and is a certified trainer and trainer of trainers at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. He is co-author of a study on the impact of loans to SMEs on job creation.

François Rancourt

François Rancourt is a SME finance practitioner who combines more than 18 years of work in senior management positions and MSME Finance operations. From 2015 to 2019, he’s led the creation a greenfield microfinance institution in North Africa, supported by Desjardins International Development (DID) and AfricInvest. Prior to this, he worked extensively as a senior SME loan officer in Canada.

François has been a consultant for the Frankfurt School IAS since 2023, addressing strategic and hands-on technical challenges related to SME lending, investment operations, product design, portfolio management and digitization. He’s also experienced in risk management and sales. Lately, he’s been involved increasingly in the implementation of SMEs-dedicated credit lines, risk-sharing facilities granted by DFIs to Financial Institutions (FIs). He has worked on assignments with numerous DFIs, including IFC, KfW, and EIB, focusing on projects in North Africa, West Africa, and Latin America.

He has contributed to the newly updated units aimed at enhancing SME relationship management skills and leveraging digital tools.

He holds a B.A in International Development Studies from Dalhousie University and a Master’s degree in Administration from the Université of Sherbrooke, Canada, where he also lectured master’s level classes related to international development.

Course contributes to UN SDGs

All our courses contribute to the following SDGs

This course will enhance your knowledge in the following SDGs. The SWA offers professional and executive courses dedicated to the advancement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Beyond your Certificate

Master of Leadership in Sustainable Finance

The Certified Expert in SME Finance is an Elective Module of the Master of Leadership in Sustainable Finance. Join our Master programme after completing the CESF course and waive one elective module. Also, the amount you paid for the course will be deducted from the final tuition fee of the Master programme.

Frankfurt School Summer Academy

Our Summer Academy is designed to provide tangible take-home value: what you learn with us in Frankfurt, you can apply straight away in your own organisation. More than 1,000 participants over 20 years can’t be wrong – our trainings are cutting edge, delivered by leading experts in their field. Yet, most important for the great success of our Summer Academies is the profile of the participants. You bring the regional expertise, diversity of backgrounds and the unique practitioner’s perspective. Learning from each other is an integral part of our training philosophy. This is your opportunity to stretch your network all around the globe.

Diploma in Financial Inclusion

The Certified Expert in SME Finance is part of the curriculum of our Diploma in Financial Inclusion. Enroll to our Diploma after completing the CESF course and waive one module. Also, the amount you paid for the course will be deducted from the final tuition fee of the Diploma.