“…In terms of why loan guarantee schemes have become the most widespread form of intervention in capital markets relevant to smaller firms across the world (Beck et al, 2010;Dvouletý et al, 2021), we can identify perennial concerns that capital markets do not offer enough funds to smaller and younger firms with good quality projects (Demoussis et al, 2017;Cowling, 2010aCowling, , 2010b, and that this credit rationing negatively impacts on their ability to generate jobs, grow their sales (Dvouletý et al, 2019), introduce new products and services, increase consumer welfare through competition, and to become more productive (Kersten et al, 2017;Cowling et al, 2018a). In crisis periods, their relevance and scale are extended as banks raise their lending standards (their threshold above which a loan is approved) and ration credit more widely (Beyhaghi et al, 2020). However, it is primarily an empirical question whether or not public loan guarantee schemes generate a positive net benefit to the host economy.…”