BBVA in Peru launches its first international gender social bond aimed at women-led SMEs
BBVA, in partnership with BID Invest (anchor investor) and COFIDE, the Development Bank of Peru, has closed a new transaction that will enable the issuance of social bonds aimed at promoting the financial inclusion of micro and small enterprises owned by women.
The transaction includes two tranches of senior bonds for up to US$200 million with a five-year maturity. In the first tranche, totaling US$100 million, BID Invest participated with US$75 million, while COFIDE contributed US$25 million. The second US$100 million tranche is expected to be issued in the first quarter of the year.
The transaction is also supported by the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), an alliance aimed at expanding financing and access to financial markets for women-owned and/or women-led businesses. Through this initiative, BID Invest will grant BBVA a monetary incentive of up to US$190,000, subject to the achievement of annual targets linked to the growth of the “Women Small Business” portfolio.
This issuance represents a milestone for the banking sector in Peru, promoting equitable access to financial resources and empowering women entrepreneurs.