SMEs

BBVA’s CEO Onur Genç remarked on Monday that the integration of BBVA and Banco Sabadell will be beneficial to Spain and its economy, and made a point of emphasizing the bank’s “firm commitment to SMEs.” According to Genç, this integration will enhance lending to small and mid-sized companies (SMEs). “We are doing this transaction to boost lending, particularly to SMEs,” he stated while taking part in the 15th Financial Forum organized by Spanish newspaper Expansión and KPMG. “It wouldn’t make sense to carry out this transaction to reduce the segment we value the most at Banco Sabadell,” he added.

BBVA has taken yet another step forward in its commitment to the Spanish business community. For the first time ever, a bank will help, together with Ayuda T Pymes, all those entrepreneurs who are looking to set up their business, accompanying them from start to finish and at no additional cost. What this means is that any entrepreneur can now turn their business idea into a lawfully incorporated company within a matter of days, without having to worry about all the red tape. BBVA is expanding the support it offers its customers, as it supports entrepreneurs even before they become customers of the bank.

The ‘Sharing Knowledge’ project is a further show of BBVA’s commitment to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Through this initiative, the bank supports, teaches, inspires and transforms businesses and their management team by staging talks among industry experts and discussing specific SME success stories.

Building a business is not easy, yet it happens to be one of the most important decisions in life that many people will ever make. And while we generally talk about challenges in this process, such as the availability of capital, the macroeconomic climate of a country, cash flow management or registration and licensing, little is said about one of the biggest challenges: mental health care.

The European Investment Bank Group (EIB and EIF) and BBVA are once again joining forces to support the working capital and liquidity needs of Spanish small and medium-sized enterprises affected by the COVID19 crisis, as well as to cover their investment difficulties. To this end, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF) will guarantee a junior tranche of a €120 million synthetic securitization of an SME loan portfolio originated by BBVA, enabling the Basque bank to provide more than €960 million in financing to support the investment of small and medium-sized enterprises.

In line with BBVA’s commitment to SMEs and aware of entrepreneurs’ new needs, BBVA in Peru has launched the profile ‘Mi Negocio’ (My Business) on its app so that individuals with a business can manage their personal finances as well as finances for their businesses on the same platform.

BBVA has been named the world´s best bank for corporate clients for the second time by Global Finance magazine in its annual awards. Awards that have become a trusted standard of excellence for the financial industry.

BBVA has launched a digital tool in Spain that provides SMEs and the self-employed with a simulator to find out if they are eligible for direct aid from the Spanish Government under Royal Decree Law (RDL) 5/2021. The assistance package is aimed at protecting the productive fabric in the sectors hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. By entering the details of their business activity, customers and non-customers can find out if they meet the requirements for accessing the aid, the amount they would receive and how to apply. Thanks to this solution, small businesses will be able to carry out a preliminary assessment and anticipate an application for aid.

BBVA experts recommend that SMEs should digitize, become more technified, and increase their training to adapt to the new times in order to get onboard the sustainability train and make progress in their recovery.

The Garanti BBVA Partners Acceleration Program is looking for new candidates. This project aims to promote the development of entrepreneurial initiatives and ensure their sustainable growth.

BBVA strengthens its solutions for small and medium sized enterprises across its footprint, thanks to a strategy that prioritizes the relationship model, product distribution and the use of technology as a competitive advantage. BBVA was recently recognized as the best global bank for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) at the 2020 SME Finance Forum Awards.

BBVA USA recently released a BBVA PPP Loan Forgiveness Webinar to help small business owners prepare for the forgiveness phase of the small business relief component of the CARES Act. 

BBVA Group Executive Chairman Carlos Torres Vila participated in the Plenary Session of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, where he emphasized that the recovery in Spain may open up an opportunity to “quickly embrace” a more digital economy. For this, he considers that digitization should be a priority for businesses – especially SMEs – and any progress in this sense will greatly depend on public investments and the amplification effect derived from private initiatives. He also noted that “the role of banks has been pivotal, not only amplifying the impact of public money, but also aligning targets.”