The National SME Forum organised by The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce brought Sri Lanka’s SMEs and the wider business ecosystem together to connect businesses with markets, finance, expertise and support for growth. The Forum focused on supporting SMEs by addressing the issues that directly influence an SME’s ability to expand, including market access, procurement, standards and certification, investment readiness, financing and digital adoption, while creating opportunities for businesses to build new commercial relationships.

Held on 11 August 2026 at the Taj Samudra Colombo, Hon. Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development attending as the Chief Guest, delivered the keynote address. Chairperson of the Ceylon Chamber Mr. Krishan Balendra delivered the Welcome Address, while Secretary General and CEO of the Ceylon Chamber, Mr. Shiran Fernando, shared an update on the progress since Scale Up 1.0, including developments arising from the discussions and insights from the SME survey conducted at the time. Country Manager for Visa - Sri Lanka and the Maldives Ms. Avanthi Colombage delivered a special address.

Discussions examined how SMEs can access new domestic and export markets, connect with larger companies and supply chains, and meet the standards, testing and certification requirements increasingly expected by customers and business partners. The forum also addressed the challenges businesses face as they move into their next stage of growth, including access to finance, investment readiness, governance, taxation and strategies for building more structured and scalable enterprises.

Importantly, Scale Up 2.0 extended beyond discussion. A networking lunch and exhibition enabled SMEs to engage directly with participating organisations, followed by corporate networking facilitated through corporate procurement desks, thematic cluster tables and business advisory services. These sessions gave businesses an opportunity to discuss procurement requirements, potential partnerships, sector-specific opportunities and areas where they needed advice or support.

By bringing SMEs together with policymakers, corporates, financial institutions and business support organisations, Scale Up 2.0 connected the different elements of the SME growth ecosystem around the needs of businesses.

The National SME Forum 2026 was supported by Platinum Partner – Visa, Strategic Partners – CA Sri Lanka, Colombo Stock Exchange, PickMe, Sampath Bank, DHL, LankaPay, Janashakthi Group, Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation General Ltd., Media and Telecommunications Partners – SLT Mobitel, Pulse, Hospitality Partner – Taj Samudra Colombo, Official Banking and Financial Services Partner – Bank of Ceylon.