Echoing World SME Day, the European Investment Bank (EIB) Unveils a New Survey: "EIB/UE: The Challenges of SMEs in Tunisia in 2025"
As part of the Trade & Competitiveness Programme (TCP) co-financed by the European Union, the European Investment Bank (EIB) has released a new survey highlighting the challenges faced by Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Tunisia.
A Resilient yet Constrained Entrepreneurial Fabric
The study, conducted among 150 Tunisian SME leaders operating in export-oriented value chains, including agro-industry, textiles, and automotive, paints a picture of a resilient yet constrained entrepreneurial fabric seeking to project itself internationally despite a highly competitive environment.
SMEs, essential to Tunisia's economy and representing nearly 97% of the national productive fabric, embody a willingness to open up but are still hindered by structural and conjunctural realities that hinder their growth.
Access to Financing and Capital: Central Concerns
While access to financing and lack of capital remain central concerns for business leaders, increased competition and market saturation appear as the most difficult obstacles to overcome.
Competitiveness: A Key Differentiator in Saturated Markets
In a global context where markets are increasingly saturated with diverse products and services, a quarter of SME leaders identify increased competition as their primary difficulty in growing, ahead of lack of capital (17%).
However, it is in international markets that their competitiveness is put to the test: 6 out of 10 SMEs believe that foreign market saturation and intense competition severely limit their development.
The Trade & Competitiveness Programme: Boosting Competitiveness
In response to this finding, the Trade & Competitiveness Programme focuses on strengthening competitiveness by offering targeted technical training on strategic topics such as rules of origin and decarbonation, aiming to position Tunisian SMEs as competitive enterprises in European markets.
Financing: The Missing Fuel for International Expansion
Behind every ambition lies a fundamental need: that of resources. For 48% of business leaders, lack of financing is a major obstacle to internationalization.
Despite the fact that 88% of SMEs already export, only half do so regularly, while 1 in 10 remains entirely absent from export circuits due to lack of means to invest in innovation, standardization, or commercial prospecting.
Concrete Solutions for Access to Credit
Aware of this gap, the Trade & Competitiveness Programme implements concrete solutions: in partnership with Tunisian banks, it facilitates access to credit through dedicated financing lines for SMEs, alleviated guarantees, and oriented towards structuring projects. These instruments aim to release the investment capacity of enterprises and enable them to take the leap to international markets with solid foundations.
Structural Barriers to Exportation
Even for SMEs that have already engaged in an export strategy, logistical and commercial barriers remain daunting. 62% denounce prohibitively high logistical, customs, and compliance costs, while 44% cite the difficulty in identifying foreign commercial partners. These technical and relational constraints hinder integration into international value chains, essential for ensuring sustainable export growth.
