BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 5. The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Commission have launched the InvestEU Gender Finance Lab, an advisory programme aimed at improving access to finance for women-owned and women-led SMEs in Europe, Trend reports.
Developed by the EIB Group with funding from the InvestEU Advisory Hub, the initiative will support financial intermediaries, including commercial banks and fund managers. A key component is the Gender-Smart Finance Master Class, an eLearning program starting in March 2025.
The program will help banks develop financial products tailored to women entrepreneurs, enhance gender-smart data analysis, and share best practices. It will also provide webinars, interactive discussions, and access to a virtual knowledge hub.
EIB President Nadia Calviño emphasized the economic benefits of investing in women entrepreneurs, while the European Commission highlighted the programme’s role in bridging the gender finance gap.
The initiative is free for participating institutions and aims to strengthen support for women-led businesses across the EU.