- What
- Sharia-compliant SME financing; amount set case by case.
- Who
- Bahrain SMEs with an active CR and at least 2 years of operations.
- From abroad
- A company in Bahrain is required — Must hold an active Commercial Registration (CR); Must be operating in Bahrain; At least 2 years of operations All programmes open to founders from abroad →
- Latest
- Last call for applications Nov 2025 — SME Fund applications opened at BDB main branchNewest dated item on its own site · checked Oct 2026
Checked · October 2026 · bdb-bh.com/financial-services/sme-fund · How we check ↗
In detail
SME Fund (Bahrain) is a government-backed SME financing fund in Bahrain. National SME financing fund managed by Bahrain Development Bank in partnership with NBB, BBK and Al Salam Bank; Tamkeen subsidises up to 50% of the profit rate. Sharia'a-compliant financing with repayment terms of up to five years.
- Terms
- No — debt financing (Sharia’a-compliant)
- Eligibility
- Bahrain SMEs with active CR and at least 2 years of operations
- Sectors
- Productive & service sectors — growth-oriented SMEs
- Benefits
- Up to 50% profit-rate subsidy (Tamkeen)
- Up to 5-year repayment
- Fixed-asset & working-capital financing
- Status
- Active — applications opened 10 November 2025; submit at BDB’s main branch or through the online form, enquiries on 17511000
Is this for you?
Where is your company?
Are you open to giving equity?
We match them against what SME Fund (Bahrain) publishes.
A guide to the published criteria, not a decision — the programme selects.
What the source says
“The Fund targets, small and medium-sized enterprises operating in Bahrain across various productive and service sectors that demonstrate potential for growth and expansion.”
“Managed by Bahrain Development Bank (BDB) ... Partner institutions: National Bank of Bahrain (NBB), Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK), Al Salam Bank ... Supported by Tamkeen”
“A strategic partner, Tamkeen provides SME Fund beneficiaries with a profit subsidy of up to 50%*, helping them access financing on more favourable terms and reinvest their profits into innovation.”
“The SME Fund provides Sharia’a-compliant financing with flexible repayment terms of up to five years. To support every stage of your business journey, we offer a suite of financing options including fixed asset loans and working capital.”
“Sharia'a-compliant financing ... fixed asset loans and working capital”
“The repayment period is flexible and may extend to 5 years, depending on the nature of the business and the type of financing provided.”
Closing soon on the map
No published deadline in the next 30 days · All published deadlines →
Compare loans & guarantees in Bahrain
| Cost | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| SME Fund (Bahrain)Sharia-compliant SME financing; amount set case by case. | not published | No equity | Active |
| Riyadat - Women Business Finance SchemeSharia-compliant financing up to BHD 1M; up to 50% profit-rate subsidy; tenor up to 7 years. | up to BHD 1M | No equity | Open |
No programmes match these filters.
Highest amount in each programme’s own “What” line. Other currencies converted for sorting only (Gulf pegs; KWD, EUR, GBP approximate).
More programmes that take no equity →
Questions founders ask
What does SME Fund (Bahrain) offer?
Sharia-compliant SME financing; amount set case by case.
Does SME Fund (Bahrain) take equity?
No equity — Sharia-compliant debt.
Can founders from abroad apply?
A company in Bahrain is required — Must hold an active Commercial Registration (CR); Must be operating in Bahrain; At least 2 years of operations.
How do I apply?
Through its own application form — the Apply button on this page goes straight there.
Sources
Primary source · bdb-bh.com/financial-services/sme-fund · Checked October 2026