Client:
Context
Commissioned by Amar Bank in partnership with Mutual Value Labs, this engagement examined the factors affecting MSMEs’ access to financing across Indonesia. As Mutual Value Labs research partner, Cothink was engaged to identify the financing gaps constraining MSME growth and to explore opportunities to strengthen the ecosystem through new financial products, strategic partnerships, and better support infrastructure. The study aimed to inform Amar Bank’s product development and ecosystem strategy by building a clear understanding of the constraints faced by MSMEs and the challenges within the financing ecosystem.
Our Approach
Cothink conducted more than 50 in-depth interviews with stakeholders across Indonesia’s MSME financing landscape, including commercial banks, microfinance institutions, fintech lenders, business support organisations, government agencies, ecosystem enablers, and MSME operators. We led the full qualitative fieldwork process on behalf of Mutual Value Labs, from stakeholder mapping and interview design through data collection, transcription, coding, and quality assurance, then synthesised the findings into a clear set of insights for decision-making.
The research looked at how social capital and stakeholder relationships shape access to finance, including the role of informal networks, referral pathways, and existing support mechanisms in influencing MSMEs’ creditworthiness and uptake of financial products.
Impact
The engagement delivered a grounded view of the structural and ecosystem-level barriers constraining MSME financing in Indonesia. The findings gave Amar Bank and ecosystem stakeholders a strong evidence base to inform product design, partnership prioritisation, and service delivery improvements.