Expo 2020 Dubai
Free
Welcome to the SME Academy
Brought to you by NBAD.
SMEs need two things to succeed: access to finance, and skills.
At NBAD we are already providing high-quality banking products, and through the SME Academy we are now helping to develop essential skills, too.
Our aim is very clear: to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit of the UAE and the Gulf region and in turn, help you to realise your ambitions.
The SME Academy and Skills Building Workshops are here to help you address skill gaps in your business and they are delivered free by NBAD.
The Skills Building Workshops comprise a programme of practical, relevant training each developed for revenue generating businesses on the critical path to growth. On successful completion of each Skills Building Workshop, you will receive a Certificate of Completion which can serve as an additional credential for your business.
The SME Academy is also an online resource of training materials, best practice and information created to boost skills and give you and your staff practical, relevant knowledge to deliver a new level of commercial effectiveness.
About SME Academy
The SME Academy is brought to you by NBAD (National Bank of Abu Dhabi) and SME Advisor two names committed to the SME agenda and creators of market-leading brands like SME Advisor magazine and the NBAD Stars of Business Awards.
This website will give you:
- Information about the Master Class series of workshops. Click on the tab above and you can find out a whole lot more.
- The latest video interviews with the movers and shakers in your sector and the people whose comments can really change the way you think about work.
Skills Building Workshops
This is a series of half-day training sessions, focusing on the topics that are essential to further the development of your business. The sessions will be delivered by expert institutions who are leaders in their fields, providing you with insights into the latest thinking on each topic.
Skills Building Workshops are held in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Eligibility
We have tailored the Skills-Building Workshops to be most suitable for revenue generating businesses that are already on the path to growth. For that reason, to enrol, you must be a business that:
FAQs
For the Skills-Based Workshops, there are entry criteria to help ensure the training is best suited to your business.
We have tailored the Skills-Building Workshops to revenue generating businesses that are already on the path to growth. For that reason, to enrol, you must be a business that:
- Has been trading for a minimum of two years
- Has a minimum turnover of AED 5 million annually
- Is a business entity or an LLC with valid UAE trade licence. this includes licences issued by the various Free zones in the UAE
The online training resources are beneficial to SMEs of all sizes and growth stages and are free to access here.
Not at all. While the SME Academy has been created by NBAD, a company which believes in the importance of nurturing the growth of business across the GCC, it is open to all eligible SMEs in the UAE.
SMEs need two things to grow: access to finance and skills. At NBAD we are already providing finance to the SME sector, the SME Academy is here to help you address skill gaps and ensure that your business is bankable through a free series of bespoke courses. Each module on this course has been developed specially for revenue generating businesses on the critical path to growth.
The SME Academy, masterclass series and online training materials are all completely free of charge.
Each company can only send one representative, since space on these courses is at a premium.
Our focus is on providing SMEs with practical, relevant professional skills to help you grow your business.
You will get a Certificate of Completion when you attend each one of the Skills-Based Workshops. This Certificate of Completion will serve as reference collateral for formal discussions with banks, accountancies and public sector entities, and may benefit you when applying for competitive tenders or working in public-private partnerships.
At this stage, there is no formal or academic qualification; but its something we are working towards.
This is the first year of an annual programme which is anticipated to serve 1,000 SMEs per year.
The online materials will be available at all times and we will continue to build on the resources available to provide you with the latest insights and advice to benefit your business.
