Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are key contributors to economic growth and job creation. The current economic and financial crisis has reduced bank lending and has affected SMEs in particular. Capital markets will have to play a bigger role in financing SMEs in order to make them more resilient to financial shocks. This article reviews the spectrum of alternative market-based debt instruments for SME financing. It focuses on securitisation and covered bonds and also addresses issues regarding small/mid-cap bonds and private placements. It reviews the current state of the market for these instruments and identifies associated risks; analyses the barriers for issuers and investors alike; and provides best practices and high level recommendations to help alleviate barriers without hampering the overall stability of the system.

JEL classification: G1, G2, G23, G28

Keywords: SME finance, SME securitisation, non-bank finance, (high-quality) securitisation, asset-backed securities (ABS), SME CLO (collateralised loan obligation), (covered) bonds, private placements, financial regulation, European DataWarehouse, Prime Collateralised Securities (PCS) initiative