ESG & Financing: What Banks Expect When Lending to SMEs

For small and medium-sized enterprises, access to credit increasingly depends on more than just financial figures. Banks are weighing ESG performance more heavily in their lending decisions, and SMEs that cannot demonstrate reliable sustainability data risk facing higher financing costs or limited access to capital. Thomas Grässl, ESG & Sustainable Finance Expert at BlackBoar AG, and Matthias Hansen, Banking & Corporate Finance Expert at BlackBoar AG, discuss with our host Dr. Philipp B. Schuster, Intrapreneur, ESG Expert, and Community Builder at osapiens Academy, what banks actually look for in ESG data during the credit decision process and what SMEs need to remain competitive in their financing search.

In this session, you’ll gain clear insight into what actually influences credit decisions for SMEs today, along with concrete guidance on how to strengthen your position:

Market experts: What banks actually look for in ESG data when extending credit to SMEs — reported directly by Thomas Grässl, ESG & Sustainable Finance Expert at BlackBoar AG, and Matthias Hansen, Banking & Corporate Finance Expert at BlackBoar AG

Risk and cost implications: How gaps in sustainability data can lead to higher financing costs or restricted access to capital

Practical preparation: Which ESG data points and processes are particularly important and how SMEs can optimally prepare before their next financing discussion

Live Q&A: Your questions will be answered directly by our speakers

Why attend?

Learn directly from our speakers in ESG, sustainable finance, and corporate finance what actually influences credit decisions — with practical, actionable insights instead of theory — and the opportunity to ask the experts your own questions.