HalalBiz Financing Programme

HalalBiz Financing Programme

Supports halal ecosystem firms in Malaysia with Shariah compliant financing for certification and related business development.

HalalBiz is a Shariah-compliant financing programme offered by Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Berhad (SME Bank) to encourage Malaysian MSMEs to participate in the halal industry ecosystem. Eligible businesses may use the financing for asset purchase, working capital, and the direct cost of obtaining Halal certification. The Malaysian government has allocated RM100 million annually for this programme — both the Budget 2025 and Budget 2026 documents confirm the RM100 million envelope — channelled through SME Bank as the executing institution. This is an Islamic financing facility, not a non-dilutive cash grant; applicants receive a subsidised Shariah-compliant loan, not free funds.

Eligibility extends to both Bumiputera and non-Bumiputera MSMEs that are either already Halal-certified or actively pursuing certification, and that operate within Malaysia's halal industry ecosystem. The programme is administered by SME Bank in collaboration with the Halal Development Corporation (HDC) and has a documented partnership with Perak SADC. Specific profit rates and maximum financing limits per applicant were not publicly disclosed on the programme page at the time of research, though the subsidised profit-rate structure is confirmed in Budget 2025 documentation. The programme supports capacity building alongside financing through a linked Halal entrepreneur development component.

Applicants should approach SME Bank directly, as the standard SME Bank application process applies — meaning prospective borrowers will be assessed on business viability, Shariah compliance, and halal-sector activity before financing is approved. For food-tech, consumer goods, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and other halal-adjacent businesses seeking growth capital in Malaysia, HalalBiz offers one of the few government-backed financing facilities that explicitly covers Halal certification costs as an allowable use of proceeds, reducing a direct barrier to certification for smaller enterprises.