SME Finance Monitoring

Following on from a published UK 5 and UK 6 notice DBW has entered into a contract for SME finance monitoring.

The strategy team and Economic Intelligence Wales require a source of insight into how Welsh SMEs view, use and experience finance in a way which is comparable to a wider UK and regional dataset. This data should keep consistent sample sizes, question set and stratification to better track access to funding, growth ambitions and business performance through shifting economic conditions. This data must have the quality and repeatability for authoritative and reliable use which requires sufficient samples into sub-questions on finance uses. A key test of this is the use of datasets by our peers. Previously, the SME Finance Monitor has fulfilled this need. SME Finance Monitor is the largest quarterly survey in Wales without requirement for accredited researchers and project authorisation to access the granular data. Over the year, we will have access to a sample of 1,000 SMEs in Wales compared to the 500 typically achieved in the UK Government’s Longitudinal Business Survey. The instruction from DBW to the Consultants for these specific services relating to the service is as follows:

• a)Include “Development Bank of Wales” as a response option to an existing survey question for SMEs in Wales according to eligibility criteria according to DBW’s own guidelines indicated below.

Employing up to 250 employees- Annual turnover not exceeding €50million

Be located in Wales

• b)Provide DBW with the raw data tables, in Microsoft Excel format, at the half year and full year period for those SMEs within the eligibility criteria outlined above