A total of €270 million will address various EIB Group policy objectives, including financing the green transition of SMEs and mid-caps and fostering women entrepreneurship.
An additional €100 million will be earmarked exclusively for financing projects in the agricultural sector.
The operation contributes to the EIB Group strategic priority of strengthening the European agriculture and bioeconomy sectors, to the competitiveness of European SMEs and mid-caps.

Madrid: The EIB Group – made up of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF) – has signed a new €250 million securitisation operation with Santander to boost investment by small businesses (SMEs) and mid-caps companies in Spain and to support the agricultural sector and women entrepreneurship in the country. This investment will allow Santander to mobilise up to €370 million to improve access to financing for companies in strategic sectors, boost agricultural development, and support economic cohesion across regions.

Under the operation, the European Investment Fund (EIF) commits €200 million through a bilateral guarantee with ING, while the European Investment Bank (EIB) invests €50 million. The entire EIB Group investment is being made through a single securitisation in which other private investors have also participated.

The EIF €200 million investment will unlock €270 million of additional financing, covering a broad spectrum of EIB Group policy objectives like supporting SMEs and mid-caps green transition, foster women’s entrepreneurship and extend green loans to private individuals.

The EIB €50 million investment will mobilize €100 million to finance projects in the agricultural sector carried out by SMEs and midcaps operating in Spain. Investments are expected to cover a broad range of activities, such as sustainable and regenerative agriculture, working capital for climate resilience and adaptation crops varieties, infrastructure improvements and water management systems. Approximately 10% of the financing will specifically benefit young and newly installed farmers with the EIB enabling eligibility for financing the acquisition of agricultural land. The investment takes place under the Pan-European Agricultural Programme, an €3 billion package launched by the EIB in 2024 to support agricultural businesses, with a particular focus on businesses led by young entrepreneurs.

This operation is one more demonstration of the EIB Group’s role of promoting financial instruments like securitisations that help unlock capital for green projects, reduce the risk borne by sponsoring financial institutions and strengthen the EU capital markets union.

The agreement with Santander contributes to the eight strategic priorities of the EIB Group, specifically to strengthen agriculture and the bioeconomy sectors in Europe, support climate action, encourage women’s entrepreneurship, promote economic, social and territorial cohesion and foster the EU capital markets union.

Background information

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.

Press contacts

EIB Group

Maite Cordero | m.corderomunoz@eib.org | Tel.: +34 606 66 82 62

Website: www.eib.org/press | Press Office: +352 4379 21000 | press@eib.org

Banco Santander

Corporate Communication | comunicacion@gruposantander.com | Tel.: +34 91 2895211