The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will roll out a P3-billion Export Business Expansion Fund on March 12, 2026 to provide financing support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) engaged in export activities.
The facility, implemented through Small Business Corp. (SB Corp.), is designed to help exporters scale up operations and meet growing global demand.
The fund will offer loans without collateral and with a 1-year grace period on both principal and interest payments, giving businesses time to stabilize and expand before repayment begins.
“So, if you’re in the export business, especially those that need the fund, we also set aside P3 billion for you,” DTI Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque announced during the ASEAN 2026 Business Environment Forum on Wednesday.
Roque said the grace period allows firms to set up or expand operations and generate revenues before servicing the loan. The export expansion fund forms part of a wider financing push by the DTI to strengthen MSMEs, which make up the majority of businesses in the country.
The agency recently launched several other financing windows under SB Corp., including a P2-billion OFW Negosyo Fund and a P2-billion Women Enterprise Fund launched last week.
The OFW loan program seeks to assist returning overseas Filipino workers and their families who want to start or expand businesses, particularly through franchising.
Through SB Corp., the DTI is also extending financing for receivables and purchase orders through its purchase order and check-release financing facility to help exporters manage working capital requirements.
Applications for the financing programs may be submitted online through the SB Corp. portal. Assistance is also available through 18 DTI regional offices and over 1,400 negosyo centers nationwide.
The government intends to expand awareness of the programs through media and digital platforms to encourage more MSMEs to access financing and grow their businesses.
