The EIB Group has partnered with Banco Santander to launch a €250 million securitisation deal aimed at unlocking €370 million in financing for Spanish SMEs and mid-caps, with a strong focus on the green transition, female entrepreneurship, and the agricultural sector.
The initiative includes a €200 million guarantee from the European Investment Fund (EIF) in collaboration with ING, and a €50 million investment from the European Investment Bank (EIB), both made through a single securitisation structure. Additional private investors have also participated in the transaction.
This financial partnership will enable Santander to channel €270 million into projects that align with key EIB Group policy priorities, supporting green initiatives among SMEs and mid-sized companies, encouraging entrepreneurship among women, and facilitating green loans for individuals.
In parallel, €100 million will be dedicated exclusively to advancing Spain’s agricultural sector. The EIB’s €50 million investment will support projects run by small and mid-sized agricultural businesses across the country. These investments will cover areas such as sustainable and regenerative farming, infrastructure upgrades, climate-resilient crop development, and improved water management. Notably, around 10% of this funding is earmarked for young and newly established farmers, with financing options extended to cover agricultural land purchases.
The agricultural funding is part of the EIB’s broader Pan-European Agricultural Programme, a €3 billion initiative launched in 2024 to strengthen agricultural enterprises, with a specific focus on youth-led ventures.
This collaboration marks a strategic move under the EIB Group’s efforts to support innovation in financing tools, such as securitisation, that stimulate private sector investment in green and social impact projects. The partnership also strengthens the EU’s capital markets union and promotes equitable economic development across regions.
The agreement directly supports several of the EIB Group’s strategic priorities, including enhancing competitiveness of SMEs and mid-caps, reinforcing the agriculture and bioeconomy sectors, driving climate action, and promoting inclusion through support for women entrepreneurs and rural development.
About the EIB Group
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.
The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.
All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.
In Spain, the EIB Group signed €12.3 billion of new financing for more than 100 high-impact projects in 2024, helping power the country’s green and digital transition and promote economic growth, competitiveness and better services for its people.
About Santander
Banco Santander (SAN SM) is a leading commercial bank, founded in 1857 and headquartered in Spain and one of the largest banks in the world by market capitalization. The group’s activities are consolidated into five global businesses: Retail & Commercial Banking, Digital Consumer Bank, Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB), Wealth Management & Insurance and Payments (PagoNxt and Cards). This operating model allows the bank to better leverage its unique combination of global scale and local leadership. Santander aims to be the best open financial services platform providing services to individuals, SMEs, corporates, financial institutions and governments. The bank’s purpose is to help people and businesses prosper in a simple, personal and fair way. Santander is building a more responsible bank and has made a number of commitments to support this objective, including raising €220 billion in green financing between 2019 and 2030. In the first quarter of 2025, Banco Santander had €1.4 trillion in total funds, 175 million customers, 7,900 branches and 207,000 employees.
