Digital leadership and a client-centric business model made ING Bank Slaski an ideal partner for Poland’s SMEs during the first 12 months of the pandemic. Its ability to support clients and maintain growth during a time of market turmoil makes it the worthy winner of the award for CEE’s best bank for SMEs.
The Dutch subsidiary was one of the first to offer payment holidays to banking, leasing and factoring clients from the SME segment as the first wave of the Covid crisis caused widespread liquidity concerns, a facility that was taken up by nearly a quarter of its customers.
In May, however, the challenge for Polish banks changed following the government’s announcement of plans to provide financial support to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises affected by the pandemic. The disbursal of the loans was assigned to the Polish Development Fund (PFR), with the country’s banks acting as intermediaries. Along with the rest of the sector, ING Bank Slaski had to create within weeks new digital processes to enable clients to apply for the state subsidy.
Where