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.