KARACHI, October 31, 2026 — The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has introduced a central online portal for small and medium-sized businesses seeking loans from banks and development finance institutions.
The platform, called SMEConnect, will become the required route for submitting SME financing applications from November 1, 2026.
Under an SBP circular issued on October 29, businesses seeking financing will submit their applications through the portal, which will forward them to the selected bank or financial institution after necessary checks.
The new system is intended to make the application process more accessible and provide a common starting point for businesses seeking bank financing.
Applicants who visit a bank branch will receive assistance from staff in submitting their application online.
Businesses attempting to apply through a bank’s own website will also be directed to SMEConnect.
The central bank has instructed banks and development finance institutions to display the portal link prominently on their websites and mobile applications.
They must also inform customers about the change and prepare to implement the new process from November 1.
The portal is available at smeconnect.sbp.org.pk.
For smaller businesses, the change means they will no longer need to begin the application process separately through each bank’s existing digital system.
Applications will still be forwarded to banks and financial institutions, which will assess financing requests under their applicable requirements.
The SBP has instructed all relevant institutions to implement the system from the announced date.