BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 6. The European
Investment Bank (EIB) and Spanish bank CBNK have launched a 150
million euro initiative to support women entrepreneurs in Spain’s
pharmacy sector, Trend reports.
Signed during the EIB Group Forum in Luxembourg, this is the
EIB’s first intermediated loan within the EU exclusively targeting
women-led businesses.
The initiative will provide loans averaging 450,000 euros for
business formation, working capital, and equipment purchases. The
investment, implemented through a covered bond issued by CBNK, aims
to improve access to finance for women-owned small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) in the sector.
EIB President Nadia Calviño emphasized the importance of gender
equality in economic growth, while CBNK CEO Enrique Serra González
highlighted the bank’s commitment to supporting women
entrepreneurs.
The signing also marks the launch of the Gender Finance Lab, an
EIB-led initiative funded by the European Commission to promote
women’s entrepreneurship across the EU.
