Until 15 July 2014, financial institutions had been invited to apply for the "SME Finance Innovation Award", hold by DEG. Overall, 34 finance institutions applied (Asia 11, Africa 8, Latin America 6, Europe 5, supraregional 4), 12 of them being DEG customers.

The "SME Finance Innovation Award" honours innovative finance products, services and distribution channels created to reach small and medium-sized businesses (SME) in developing and emerging countries. In these countries, SME often lack the necessary access to financial services. They are often too small to attract the interest of commercial banks or investors, but too large to benefit from microfinance products. But it is precisely these SME which require financial services to unlock their innovative and growth potential in order to contribute to economic growth and job creation.