OCBC clinches multiple wins at the Asian Banking & Finance Retail Banking Asia Awards 2025

The financial institution bagged the ASEAN SME Bank of the Year, SME Bank of the Year - Hong Kong, and SME Bank of the Year - Indonesia.

OCBC was honoured at the Asian Banking & Finance Retail Banking Asia Awards 2025, being recognised for empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Asia as the regional growth partner for every stage of business. 

From early-stage startups to fast-scaling businesses, OCBC supports SMEs by offering tailored financial solutions, regional connectivity, and digital-first banking innovations.

This is in line with its purpose of enabling people and communities to realise their aspirations. Through its ‘One Bank’ approach, SMEs can access the full strength of OCBC’s regional network, capabilities, and expertise to unlock new opportunities and scale with confidence.

Regional growth

OCBC has operations in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Hong Kong amongst others. It combines local insights with regional expertise to support SME growth at scale. The bank offers a range of services, including business financing and strategic advisory, cross-border expansion support, and digital transformation and green financing tools.

The OCBC SME Index, which tracks the performance of over 100,000 SMEs in Singapore, helps businesses navigate change and identify new growth drivers by providing valuable market insights.

Furthermore, OCBC drives inclusive growth through its Women Entrepreneurs Programme, which has supported women-led SMEs in Singapore and Indonesia with funding, mentorship and access to networks.

For serial entrepreneurs in Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong, OCBC offers first-to-market financing solution that supports them with access to capital for expansion.

Making SME banking simpler, smarter

OCBC is transforming how SMEs bank with speed, simplicity and scale. 

In Indonesia, OCBC launched the first-in-market online account opening, which significantly reduced onboarding time. In Malaysia, SMEs can open Business Access and Business Signature accounts efficiently, whilst in Singapore, SMEs gain instant access to pre-approved financing which is powered by data analytics. 

Through regional embedded finance partnerships, SMEs also enjoy alternative credit options directly within their digital ecosystems.

Moreover, OCBC is building a borderless banking experience for SMEs with its regional platform that gives businesses a single sign-on to manage accounts across ASEAN and Greater China.

OCBC OneConnect, the bank’s flagship business-matchmaking platform, helps match SMEs with supply chain partners and regional growth opportunities. Additionally, a dedicated team supports SMEs entering the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).

Growing numbers

These digital solutions have brought positive outcomes, including a significant amount of SME transactions that now take place digitally, as well as a large base of SME customers in the region being digitally active.

OCBC is also the first bank in Singapore to integrate international payment options through Alipay+, WeChat Pay, and others  into OneCollect, making it easier for merchants to accept payments from international travellers.

Aside from these innovative solutions, OCBC is also dedicated to helping SMEs prepare for a low-carbon economy. Over SG$9b have been committed in sustainable financing, with a 4x increase year-on-year of SMEs being supported with Sustainability-Linked Loans.

The bank also expanded its digital SME Energy Efficiency Assessment tool from Singapore to Hong Kong and Malaysia.

With regards to compliance and data-sharing, OCBC boasts its Electronic Identity Verification solution that allows SME owners in China to remotely open business accounts for their Hong Kong-registered companies swiftly. 

OCBC provides visibility, funding, and resources to the region’s most promising SMEs—accelerating their growth when it matters most.

Asian Banking & Finance Retail Banking Awards recognises the outstanding entities in the retail banking landscape and serves as a platform to highlight their innovative solutions, retail products, digital banking breakthroughs, and exceptional customer experiences.

The ABF Retail Banking Awards is presented by Asian Banking & Finance Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2026 awards programme and be recognised for your company's cutting-edge products, services, and solutions that made a positive impact on your customers, please contact Julie Anne Nuñez-Difuntorum at [email protected].