On February 27, CGAP, IPA, J-PAL, and The World Bank hosted a day-long event that presented the latest evidence on the impact of microcredit, discussed the implications for policy and practice, and identified directions for future innovation and research. The event began with a presentation of findings from six randomized evaluations conducted in six different countries, followed by panel discussions with investors, donors, and service providers addressing the implications of these results for the industry.

The SME Initiative kicked off an exciting new partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB) on January 12, 2015.A high-level roundtable discussion brought together executives from Tier 1 banks across Africa with SME Initiative researchers and AfDB representatives.The one-day event focused on barriers to SME financing in the region.Participants discussed the challenges that banks face in lending to SMEs, identified potential solutions to those problems, and developed an action plan for testing these innovative ideas in order to expand access to finance for SMEs across Africa.