CapPlus delivers a powerful combination of mutually reinforcing interventions that help financial institutions increase the effectiveness, scale and profitability of their services to small businesses

Capacity Building Services

CapPlus delivers technical assistance to build financial institutions' capacity to apply best practices in areas such as the following.

For EMii, CapPlus also develops products and services tailored for schools, the parents, and others in the schools’ value chains.

SME diagnostics and strategy

Assesses 23 drivers of successful SME banking, guiding strategy and implementation

Financial products and processes

Credit and deposit products, policies, operations, portfolio management, credit scoring

Digital and information technology

Products, strategy, implementations, services, sales, conversions, diagnostics, system upgrades

Customer relationship management

Client acquisition, retention, sales, marketing, cross-selling

Governance

Board training and coaching

Human resources

Leadership, staff development, performance management,
employee engagement, human resources administration

Market research

Research, segmentation, sizing

Risk management

Best practices and implementation

Leveraging the Impact of New Capital

CapPlus conducts due diligence or needs assessments and manages technical assistance funds to leverage the impact of new capital and governance. Clients not only have access to onsite CapPlus banking experts, but also to the larger community of CapPlus staff and clients where informal coaching, peer experiences, and long-term relationships are available to help institutions succeed. Combining capital with capacity building strengthens the profitability and impact of financial institutions, reducing risk and increasing returns for impact investment funds.

Peer Exchange

CapPlus brings together leading professionals from the banking, development, fintech and country markets to share emerging innovations, proven approaches and global best practices.

Webinars

Led by experts who offer interactive practical solutions to common challenges

Forums, workshops and training sessions

To share knowledge, enhance skills, and network with peers


CEO And Senior Management Roundtables

To advance best practices and innovation

"Maintaining Growth through Technology"

Founded in 2006 by three Gambian professionals, Reliance Financial Services (RFS) operates as a s...

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Innovations

CapPlus develops and mainstreams innovative solutions to common challenges experienced by institutions wanting to increase their financing of SMEs.

Current project: Education Markets Impact Initiative (EMII)

Private schools represent a $4.5 billion market opportunity for financial institutions to deliver credit in just eight cities. EMII leverages the schools’ desire for credit to require improvements in education quality through loan conditions, incentives, and more intensive interventions.

CapPlus equips the financial institutions to deliver tailored services to meet schools’ unique needs and to drive quality improvements, as well as:

  • Improve proprietors’ financial management skills
  • Deliver services designed especially for women entrepreneurs
  • Provide services that strengthen parents’ financial resilience, including digital financial services
  • Extend deposit and credit products to other businesses in the education value chain
  • Assemble partnerships to improve learning outcomes and deliver other services to schools such as youth work readiness or gender empowerment

CapPlus also engages with Ministries of Education to build a supportive relationship and, where needed, invests debt in financial institutions for onlending to schools.

Read more on EMii

Launched and scaled the Small Business Banking Network (SBBN)

SBBN was the first membership-based network focused on scaling finance to small and growing businesses in emerging economies. Based on its success, the G20’s SME Finance Forum created its own membership network. SBBN is now merged into the Forum and CapPlus is the Forum’s partner in managing network activities.
View a case study on SBBN here.

Created the industry’s first publication of benchmarks of leading small business finance institutions

The benchmark compiles granular details on drivers of small business finance success and profitability. It summarizes the strategies used by leading financial institutions to achieve high performance in small business finance, with a specific focus on lending. It also provides valuable information on methods to increase productivity.

Delivering Results

86%

Of clients increased lending to women

$13.2bn

Disbursed by clients in 13.4 million loans to MSMEs

3,400+

Bankers in 30 countries trained

82%

Of clients request additional projects

Bangladesh

BRAC

Build-out of SME business line. Developed centralized, comprehensive risk management structure, including revised capital plans, organizational changes, formalization of operational and control processes and establishment of an independent risk management function. Leadership training and strategic and organizational restructuring conducted.

Kenya

Commercial Bank of Africa

Conducted comprehensive small business diagnostic to identify opportunities for developing and expanding SME finance activities, including analysis of overall operations necessary to support service to the segment.

Pakistan

Khushhali Microfinance Bank

Designed new products, refined procedures, and implemented a recruitment strategy to attract the best-qualified loan officers to support the bank’s growth. CapPlus also developed a capacity building plan incorporating branch operations, operational efficiency, credit risk management, IT, human capital, branding and marketing, and communications.

Cambodia

Sathapana

Multi-year capacity building assignment including strengthening governance and internal audit, SME training, IT conversion, savings mobilization, and embedded risk management.

Azerbaijan

TuranBank

IT conversion: diagnostic, risk assessment, roadmap, and strategy.

Mongolia

XacBank

Leadership and management coaching and training, including follow-up assessments.

Client Spotlight

Learn how we work with clients through the voices of our customers

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"Building Capacity to Serve SMEs and Women Entrepreneurs"

CRDB Bank Plc, Tanzania

Results
Over 100 CRBD loan officers, relationship managers and other staff have applied skills, techniques and learnings they gained through tailored study visits and on-site staff trainings. As they look to maintain strong growth in their SME banking business, CRDB is working with CapPlus toward a long term capacity building plan with continued support in implementing recommendations made via the small business banking diagnostic.

Approach
Through a variety of services, including the diagnostic, gender sensitivity and women’s empowerment training, study visits, and SME and customer relationship management training, CapPlus is supporting CRDB’s mission to provide competitive and innovative financial products and services.

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"Seizing Opportunities to Serve SMEs"

IDLC Finance Limited, Bangladesh

IDLC Finance Limited (IDLC) was created in 1985 as the first leasing company in Bangladesh. It is now the largest multi-product, nonbank financial institution in the country, with two subsidiaries on the Dhaka stock exchange, more than 20 branches, and 800 employees. IDLC focuses on the corporate, retail, and SME sectors with aggressive growth plans to be the leader in SME finance in Bangladesh. CapPlus conducted a diagnostic, which served as the basis for a long-term implementation plan to achieve IDLC’sambitious targets.

Results
IDLC is now following a comprehensive roadmap to implement the changes necessary to make SME finance its leading business line. Management wholeheartedly acknowledges CapPlus’ role in assessing its strengths, challenges and opportunities, as well as providing guidance for addressing weaknesses and taking advantage of market opportunities.

Approach
CapPlus conducted a small business banking diagnostic to identify high impact opportunities for improvement. The diagnostic is a comprehensive assessment tool that analyzes the drivers of SME Banking success and overall strategic and operational improvements that are necessary to successfully serve small businesses.

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"Maintaining Growth through Technology"

Reliance Financial Services, The Gambia

Founded in 2006 by three Gambian professionals, Reliance Financial Services (RFS) operates as a savings-led financial company deeply committed to the development of the Gambian people. To provide financial services to the “average Gambian,” especially those at the base of the economic pyramid, RFS, with CapPlus support, began serving small businesses soon after its founding and it proved to be a profitable and fast growing segment.

Results
A technology plan developed by the CapPlus team guided RFS through a successful IT system conversion that was critical to supporting the institution’s growth. By following the detailed roadmap to set up in-house IT capacity, RFS is now able to manage its IT infrastructure, assets and activities effectively.

Approach
CapPlus assisted RFS in an IT system conversion and strengthening of its IT department, working to identify overall business objectives, current levels of IT capabilities, and risks associated with the upgrade of the core banking solution. A CapPlus banking expert provided guidance, oversight and implementation support for the IT department, including annual planning and budgeting, asset management, data management, and security.

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"Developing a New Business Model for Serving MSMEs"

Khushhali Bank Limited, Pakistan

Based in Islamabad, Khushhali Bank Limited (KBL) is the largest microfinance bank in Pakistan, with 118 branches throughout the country serving almost 500,000 borrowers. KBL was founded in 2000 as part of the government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy and Microfinance Sector Development Program, specifically to act as a catalyst in stabilizing the country’s newly formed microfinance sector. CapPlus is KBL’s partner in supporting its transformation into a full service MSME bank.

Results
CapPlus worked with KBL to create and launch an MSME pilot program – it is now KBL’s fastest growing, high-quality portfolio.

Approach
CapPlus was an active partner in designing new products, establishing procedures, and implementing a recruitment strategy to attract the best-qualified loan officers to support the bank’s growth. The CapPlus team worked with KBL to develop a capacity building plan focused on the MSME business pilot, while also examining branch operations, operational efficiency, credit risk management, IT, human capital, branding and marketing, and communications. CapPlus continues to work with KBL in these areas through a long-term technical assistance plan.

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