SME Foundation Serves Over 34,500 Entrepreneurs in FY24

During the 2023–24 fiscal year, a total of 34,720 entrepreneurs received direct services from the SME Foundation (SMEF), with 17,001 male and 17,719 female beneficiaries.

This information was shared at the SMEF’s 19th annual general meeting held at its headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka. The meeting was chaired by SMEF Chairperson Md Mushfiqur Rahman, with Managing Director Anwar Hossain Chowdhury and other board members in attendance.

Mr. Chowdhury presented key data from the Foundation’s activities in FY2024, noting the implementation of 692 programs aimed at developing small and medium enterprises. These included major initiatives such as the 11th National SME Product Fair 2024, the National SME Entrepreneur Award 2023, and divisional fairs in Jashore and Mymensingh. Other highlights were the 7th Buyer-Seller Meeting and Product Fair 2023 and the 14th International SME Women Expo 2024 in Chattogram.

Additionally, SMEF supported the establishment of a Common Facility Center (CFC) in the Kaluhati Footwear Manufacturers Cluster in Rajshahi and conducted feasibility studies for new CFCs in Jashore and Sirajganj. It also launched the one-stop digital platform ‘WE-HELP’ to assist women entrepreneurs, and facilitated nine organizations in achieving ISO 22000:2018 certification.