Financing conversations go better when you have done the maths
A strategic SME engagement and capacity-building initiative built jointly by Sharakah and the National Bank of Oman.
Most SMEs approach a bank before they can answer the questions a bank will ask. This programme closes that gap. Across two days you work through feasibility modelling, setup costs, a marketing plan, pricing methodology, financing options and your operational breakeven point, as exercises on your own numbers rather than as lectures.
The workshop closes with a twelve-month operational simulation run in teams. You make the calls, the scenario responds, and the outcomes are analysed against the other teams before the day ends.
The programme runs as a series of six workshops across selected economic regions of the Sultanate, so that access is not concentrated in one place. Sharakah manages delivery, registration, facilitation and reporting. NBO participates in every workshop rather than sponsoring from a distance.
Download the programme overview Full workshop content, module breakdown and learning themes. PDF.Key figures
What you gain
Feasibility you can defend
Financial literacy and business feasibility planning, built by working through site selection, setup costs and cost planning on real numbers.
Pricing, cash flow and breakeven
A working understanding of pricing strategy, cash flow analysis and breakeven management, which is where most SME plans quietly fail.
Strategic and operational planning
Stronger strategic thinking and operational planning, tested under a twelve-month simulation rather than left as theory.
Readiness to seek financing
A clearer view of what financial institutions expect, and what credit readiness actually means, explained by the bank itself.
Core learning themes
Every workshop covers the same five themes, combining technical training with real-world financial simulation. The content does not vary between workshops.
How the two days run
Introduction
Workshop goals, icebreaker, the Activate Your Mind exercise, team differentiation and team-building games.
Site and cost
Module 1. Project site selection and cost calculation exercise.
Setup costs
Module 2. Calculating project setup costs.
Marketing plan
Module 3. Marketing plan development and its cost calculation.
Financing
Module 4. Financing options, with NBO presenting SME financing solutions and credit-readiness insight.
Product pricing
Module 5. Pricing methodology applied to your own product or service.
Breakeven
Module 6. Operational breakeven point.
Final challenge
A twelve-month operational project simulation in teams, analysis of each team's outcomes, then conclusion and summary.
You leave with more than a certificate
Attendance is free. What it costs you is two days, and what it returns is meant to outlast them.
A joint certificate
Every participant receives a certificate issued jointly by the National Bank of Oman and Sharakah, presented with senior NBO representation at the closing session.
A financing pathway
Participants seeking financial support complete a dedicated form at the workshop, which routes them into a structured follow-up rather than a cold approach later.
A simulation you have actually run
A full twelve-month operating cycle played out in teams, with your decisions scored against the other teams in the room.
Direct access to the bank
NBO's SME team is present through the workshop, so questions about lending, credit readiness and banking solutions get answered by the people who decide.
Not a sponsor logo on a backdrop
The programme works because the financing conversation happens in person, in the same two days as the numbers. NBO presents its SME financing solutions inside each workshop, shares what credit readiness looks like from the lender's side, engages directly with participants, and sends senior representation to the closing session. For SMEs that means the expectations are heard first-hand. For NBO it builds a pipeline of financially aware businesses across the Sultanate's key economic regions rather than in one place alone.
Want a place on the next workshop?
Six workshops, 50 places each, no attendance fee. Register your interest and we will contact you when the next registration opens.
About the Partners
About Sharakah
Sharakah, the Fund for Development of Youth Projects, was established by Royal Decree in 1998 to support small and medium enterprises in the Sultanate of Oman. On this programme, Sharakah oversees delivery end to end, including registration management, facilitation and reporting.
About the National Bank of Oman
The National Bank of Oman partners with Sharakah on this programme as part of its commitment to SME growth in the Sultanate. NBO presents its SME financing solutions within each workshop, shares credit-readiness insight, engages directly with participants, and co-issues the participant certificates.
Questions
When are the workshops?
Six workshops are planned in total, delivered as a series across selected economic regions of the Sultanate. The first has been delivered. Dates for the remaining workshops are being confirmed and will be announced with each registration opening.
Does it cost anything to attend?
No. Attendance is free. Places are limited to 50 SMEs per workshop.
Who can attend?
The programme is for owners and decision-makers in Omani small and medium enterprises. Eligibility is confirmed at registration, and specific requirements for each workshop are published with that workshop's registration form.
How much time does it take?
Two full days. The programme is built as a continuous sequence, so partial attendance is not practical: the final simulation depends on the work done in the earlier modules.
What will I actually be doing?
Exercises, not lectures. Six modules take you from site selection and setup costs through a marketing plan, financing, pricing and breakeven. The workshop closes with a twelve-month operational simulation run in teams, with outcomes analysed against the other teams.
Do I get financing at the end?
No. This is a capacity-building programme, not a financing decision. Participants seeking financial support complete a dedicated form at the workshop, which routes them into a structured follow-up. Any financing that follows is assessed on its own merits.
Do I receive a certificate?
Yes. All participants receive a certificate issued jointly by the National Bank of Oman and Sharakah, presented at the closing session with senior NBO representation.
How do I register?
Registration opens per workshop rather than for the programme as a whole. Register your interest and we will contact you when the workshop for your governorate opens.
Register your interest for the next workshop
The first workshop has been delivered. Register your interest and we will contact you as the remaining workshops are scheduled.
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