🇪🇺 Maclear’s forecast: SME financing in Europe in 2026

Why isn’t the credit gap closing?

As Europe moves toward 2026, one issue remains structural: access to credit for SMEs.

Key takeaways:

🌟 The SME bank-financing gap is nearing €400bn

🌟 73% of economists expect ECB rates to stay unchanged until at least mid-2026

🌟 Bank lending remains cautious due to regulation, risk models, and capital constraints

🌟 SMEs increasingly struggle with short-term and seasonal liquidity needs

While traditional banks stay selective, demand for external capital is rising. What covers this need most is alternative financing, including P2P lending, which offers faster, cash-flow-backed solutions tied to real economic activity.

💡 For investors, falling deposit rates and ongoing market volatility are accelerating the shift toward:

🌟 EUR-denominated instruments

🌟 Short-duration private credit, predictable

🌟 Real-economy yield.

🌟 Read the full analysis on Medium.

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