Abstract
<jats:p>This chapter examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) access to financing in Colombia, focusing on the disparities between rural and urban areas. The purpose is to understand how these businesses adapted to financial constraints by leveraging non-banking financing sources. The analysis reveals that in the post-pandemic period, SMEs were significantly more likely to utilize non-banking financing, such as microfinance and fintech, compared to traditional banking. A key finding is the existence of significant rural-urban disparities, with rural SMEs being 30.4% less likely than their urban counterparts to access non-banking financing in 2021. Younger firms and male-owned businesses demonstrated a higher likelihood of securing financing. The chapter concludes by discussing the policy implications of these findings, highlighting the need for targeted financial inclusion strategies to support rural and underserved SMEs and promote a more resilient and equitable financial ecosystem in Colombia.</jats:p>