How the business-plan element operates in Entrepreneurs Financing
How the business-plan element operates in Entrepreneurs Financing
How the business-plan element operates in Entrepreneurs Financing
This guide is confined to Entrepreneurs Financing, SDB’s electronic long-term product for the assets and operating costs of entrepreneurship projects and start-ups. The current product page states a financing range of SAR 50,000 to SAR 500,000, a repayment period of up to 108 months, and a grace period of up to 12 months. Those features should not be read across to other SDB products. Official source: Social Development Bank, Entrepreneurs Financing
The appropriate classification is B: feasibility study/business plan required for a specific product or programme. SDB lists successful completion of a training course with one of its partner entities among the product conditions. Its official FAQ answers the question “How do I prepare a project business plan (feasibility study)?” by stating that the plan of action is prepared within the training programme in cooperation with partner entities. The verified evidence therefore supports a business-plan output within the mandatory training route for this product. Official source: SDB, Entrepreneurs Financing – product conditions Official source: SDB, Entrepreneurs Financing – FAQs
The reviewed product page and FAQ do not say that a separate, applicant-prepared feasibility-study file must be uploaded at the start of the application, and they do not publish a universal mandatory field list for such an upload. Instead, SDB’s published journey says the customer receives an SMS specifying the required documents and uploads them within the stated deadline. No sufficient official Saudi source was identified to establish a requirement to upload a separate external feasibility study with an Entrepreneurs Financing application.
SDB also makes available an official Arabic Feasibility Study Form (document code PRF-FM01.v1). Its sections cover general business information, the product or service, the market, a technical plan, product or service delivery, a timetable, and personal skills. The form’s disclaimer says that published forms and guidance are subject to updating and are not binding on the beneficiary. It is consequently a useful official organising aid for the plan, rather than evidence that every listed field is a compulsory application attachment. Official source: SDB, Feasibility Study Form, pp. 1, 3, 5 and 7
The plan also has a post-approval control dimension. For the second instalment, SDB says the customer submits a request with evidence that the first instalment was spent in line with the approved work plan. The FAQ names invoices, bank transfers, and a site-lease agreement from the Ejar platform as examples. SDB then checks the evidence against the project specifications and visits the site to confirm that the first instalment was used for the funded project. Official source: SDB, Entrepreneurs Financing – FAQs, second-payment conditions
Documents Explicitly Named for SDB Entrepreneurs Financing
- A copy of the applicant's academic qualification.
- The applicant's personal bank account number (IBAN).
- A copy of the commercial registration, issued no more than 12 months earlier.
- Copies of the guarantors' IDs (two guarantors at most).
- A salary certificate for the guarantor, with a net salary of at least SAR 10,000.
Published Application and File-Preparation Stages for Entrepreneurs Financing
Confirm product fit
Before opening the application, test the published conditions: Saudi nationality, age 21–65, at least an intermediate-school certificate, 100% project ownership, and a commercial registration no older than 12 months. The activity must be supported, and the applicant must be ready to become fully dedicated before contract signing. Official source
Access the financing service
SDB’s user guide begins with the SDB website and Nafath national login. The applicant then selects Facilities Financing, opens Entrepreneurs Financing, and uses “Apply Now.” Official source: User Guide – Entrepreneurs Financing, pp. 2–4
Complete the personal-information record
Enter the main, contact, educational, work-experience, and bank information. The official guide says the applicant is moved on once the IBAN link has been verified and is active. Official source: User Guide – Entrepreneurs Financing, p. 5
Set the financing particulars
The guide directs the user to select the enterprise city, choose the activity to be financed, and select the requested financing amount. Selection is an application action, not a promise of approval. Official source: User Guide – Entrepreneurs Financing, p. 6
Record the guarantor arrangement
Provide the guarantor information with regard to permitted commitments. SDB publishes a 100% salary-deduction guarantee requirement. Where there is more than one guarantor, the user guide says their percentages must total 100%. Official source: product page and User Guide – Entrepreneurs Financing, p. 7
Obtain guarantor action and upload the requested items
The published journey sends a notice to the guarantor. Following approval, employer information is completed and a credit check is carried out. SDB then sends the customer an SMS listing the documents to upload by the specified deadline; that case-specific message is the controlling document request. Official source
Allow SDB’s verification process
SDB’s stated flow verifies data and attachments with the relevant authorities. When the application is complete, processing of the financing request begins. Official source
Complete partner-led training and the plan of action
Select an available partner entity, pay the notified training fee, and finish the dedicated course with that entity. SDB’s FAQ places preparation of the project’s plan of action inside this programme. Passing the training and the personal interview are published conditions. Official source Official FAQ
Receive the funding decision
The partner entity approves the designated financing amount. SDB’s published steps then provide for an SMS notification of the approved amount and final approval of the financing request. Official source
Retain traceable spending evidence
For a second instalment, retain invoices, bank-transfer records, and, where relevant, an Ejar site-lease agreement. SDB names these as examples of proof of expenditure under the approved work plan. Official FAQ
Guide Table
| Document type | Common use | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Business-plan route | SDB says the plan of action is prepared in the training programme in collaboration with partner entities. | Do not represent an independently prepared feasibility-study upload as mandatory unless SDB’s SMS or the partner entity specifically requests it. Be prepared to develop the plan through training. Official FAQ |
| Published form structure | The official feasibility form contains general information, product/service description, market, technical plan, delivery, timetable, and skills sections. | These headings can organise project information for the training plan, but the form’s disclaimer prevents treating every field as a binding application requirement. Official source: Feasibility Study Form, p. 1 |
| Market material | The form asks for the target market, competitors, target segment, and why the customer would select the product or service. | Prepare a grounded market and customer explanation to support plan development; do not call this a mandatory upload schedule. Official source: Feasibility Study Form, p. 5 |
| Delivery and implementation | The form provides fields for the activity location, inputs needed to provide the product/service and their source, plus an implementation timetable. | Arrange the site, input, and implementation information so the plan can be explained coherently during the partner-led work. Official source: Feasibility Study Form, pp. 3–4 |
| Document request | The published journey does not provide a fixed initial attachment list; it says SDB will issue an SMS identifying the required documents and deadline. | Follow the later SDB message as the authoritative request rather than a non-official checklist. Official source |
| Second disbursement | SDB requires evidence that the first instalment was spent in line with the approved work plan, checks it against specifications, and may visit the site. | Preserve the evidence as spending occurs. This control relates to the second instalment, not to a universal initial-application attachment list. Official FAQ |
Frequently Asked Questions: Business Planning for Entrepreneurs Financing
Must an applicant upload a stand-alone feasibility study with an Entrepreneurs Financing application?
The reviewed official sources do not establish a general requirement to upload a separate externally prepared study when the application opens. What SDB does establish is that the plan of action is prepared through the training programme with a partner entity, and passing that course is a condition. No sufficient official Saudi source was identified to establish a requirement to upload a separate external feasibility study with the application. Official source Official FAQ
Where is the project plan developed?
SDB’s FAQ places preparation of the project plan of action inside the training programme, in cooperation with partner entities. In the published sequence, the applicant selects an available partner, receives the training-fee notice, and completes the course with that entity. Official source Official FAQ
Is the training course optional?
No. Successful completion of a course delivered through one of SDB’s partner entities is expressly listed as a product condition, and the FAQ confirms that passing the course is a prerequisite for Entrepreneurs Financing. Official source Official FAQ
How long does the training normally last, and how is it delivered?
The official FAQ states that training lasts five to seven days. It also says courses are held remotely in cooperation with partner entities. Official FAQ
Which project topics does SDB’s published feasibility-study form cover?
The form is arranged around general information, product or service description, market, technical planning, delivery, schedule, and skills. It can help structure information for planning, but its own disclaimer says published forms and guidance are updateable and non-binding on beneficiaries. Official source: Feasibility Study Form, p. 1
Who is eligible to apply under the published Entrepreneurs Financing conditions?
The product page specifies Saudi nationality, age from 21 to 65, at least an intermediate-school certificate, 100% ownership of the project, and a commercial registration not older than 12 months at application. It also requires a supported activity, full dedication before contract signing, and successful training and personal interview outcomes. Official source
Can a minority co-owner be the applicant?
SDB’s published answer is that the entrepreneur applying for the product must own 100% of the project. The product conditions state the same ownership threshold. Official FAQ Official source
What does SDB mean by a “new” project?
A “new” project is at the idea-study or feasibility-study stage, or has a commercial registration no more than six months old, regardless of its actual operating position. SDB publishes a 70% first instalment and 30% second instalment mechanism for this status. Official source Official FAQ
How does SDB distinguish “under formation” from “start-up”?
“Under formation” means the project physically exists and formation has started, but commercial operations have not started; its commercial registration is more than six and no more than 12 months old. A “start-up” has begun operating and conducting commercial activity within that same registration-age range. Official FAQ
What does the official user guide ask for in the personal-information stage?
It identifies main information, contact details, educational qualifications, work experience, and bank details. The guide says that, after the IBAN link is verified and shown as active, the applicant is automatically redirected to the next page. Official source: User Guide – Entrepreneurs Financing, p. 5
What happens if a guarantor is not approved?
SDB says rejection may arise because the guarantor’s commitments exceed the permitted limit after the new obligation is considered, or because the guarantor’s employer declines the request. The FAQ permits another guarantor to be added following a rejection and allows no more than two guarantors in one application. Official FAQ
Does SDB publish a fixed list of opening-application attachments for this product?
Not in the verified published journey. It says the customer receives an SMS specifying the required documents and must upload them to the system within the defined deadline. The official source does not support replacing that product-stage notification with a universal attachment list. Official source
Is a personal interview part of the required route?
Yes. SDB’s FAQ says that the applicant must pass the personal interview to complete the procedures, and the product page lists successful completion of that interview among the conditions. Official source Official FAQ
What evidence is associated with a request for the second instalment?
The customer requests the second instalment and attaches evidence that the first instalment was spent in accordance with the approved work plan. SDB gives invoices, bank transfers, and an Ejar site-lease agreement as examples, then checks the evidence against project specifications and visits the site. Official FAQ
What funding range and repayment terms does SDB publish for Entrepreneurs Financing?
The product page states a financing range from SAR 50,000 to SAR 500,000, repayment of up to nine years (108 months), a grace period of up to 12 months, and scheduled monthly repayment. Official source
This guide is for general information and is not legal or consular advice. Always verify current requirements with the receiving authority.