Informational intermediation: a tool to assess SMEs’ ability to access financing

Purpose – This paper aims to highlight a typology of small firms which, beyond the criteria of size or industrial field, makes it possible to distinguish the quality of firms according to their internal organisation and the type of market on which they act with the objective of reducing the capital gap and credit rationing. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a global approach using qualitative and quantitative data. Findings – Still at the experimental stage, this method of assessing the ability of small firms to access financing from their various external partners could, if widely used, offer a means of increasing the transparency of small businesses and thereby enhancing their positioning and their chances of survival. Research limitations/implications – The research is at an early stage and needs to be validated empirically. Originality/value – While this paper describes a method of assessing an economic policy intended to benefit SMEs in France, its main purpose is to show how such a tool can help to target assistance and financing for small businesses more effectively.