BBVA - Press Room

• The bank's retail branch network has since January been offering the ICO Pyme (ICO Small- and Medium-sized Business), ICO Emprendedores (ICO Entrepreneurs), ICO Crecimiento Empresarial (ICO Business Growth), ICO Internacionalización (ICO Internationalization) and a new line known as ICO Liquidez (ICO Liquidity).
• BBVA in 2008 carried out more than 190,000 transactions totaling more than €65 billion with small- and medium-sized companies, retailers and self-employed people 
• BBVA has nearly 1 million small- and medium-sized business customers, giving it 13.4% of this market, and in 2008 was the leader in ICO credit lines, with more than €1 billion in loans

BBVA today announced the launch of a plan to bolster its commitment to small- and medium-sized companies, retailers and self-employed people.  Following the November launch of its “Self-Employed Commitment,” a broad range of solutions tailored to the needs of small businesses, the bank is now taking further steps to assist owners of small companies and retail establishments by offering them stepped-up financial backing.  To this end, the bank is making available a total of €5.5 billion in pre-approved loans, more than any other bank has offered this group of customers, and has begun to provide small- and medium-sized companies with access to new 2009 ICO (Insituto de Crédito Oficial, Spain’s state-owned financing arm) credit lines, a business in which BBVA has been the top Spanish lender for five years in a row.

By the end of 2008, BBVA had strengthened its lead role in the small- and medium-sized company, retailer and self-employed segment, with nearly one million customers in Spain.  BBVA last year signed more than 190,000 financing deals with customers in these market segments, for a total of more than €65 billion. BBVA is the top lender to small- and medium-sized businesses – those with annual revenue of less than €50 million—with a nominal market share of 37.6%, and is the main lender for 13.4% of these companies, and this trend is on the upswing.  In addition, for five years in a row BBVA has been the most active financial institution in providing credit lines made available by ICO. In 2008 alone it granted financing totaling more than €1 billion, the most of any lender.

As we move into 2009, BBVA aims to strengthen its market lead by deepening its commitment to small business owners, the self-employed and retailers in order to support them and work side by side with them as much as possible amid the current economic crisis.

To achieve this goal, BBVA will now provide further impetus to the series of initiatives it began rolling out in the fourth quarter of 2008.  Following the launch of the Self-Employed Commitment, which features products tailored to this group of customers, BBVA now has a line of pre-approved loans for small- and medium-sized businesses, retail shops and the self-employed. The bank has €5.5 billion available for this purpose, more than any other financial institution in Spain.  Customers may make use of these funds without having to apply first, as the loans are pre-approved, and may use the money to weather the current difficult economic environment. 

After quickly adapting its systems to the new products, the bank in mid-January began offering small- and medium-sized businesses the new 2009 ICO Credit Lines, a business in which BBVA intends to remain the market leader by volume of financing granted.  The lines of credit the bank's retail branch network already offers include ICO Pyme (ICO Small- and Medium-sized Business), ICO Emprendedores (ICO Entrepreneurs), ICO Crecimiento Empresarial (ICO Business Growth), ICO Internacionalización (ICO Internationalization) and a new line known as ICO Liquidez (ICO Liquidity).

Leader in business management

BBVA’s goal as a lender specializing in products and services for small- and medium-sized companies is to encourage business activity and investment in fixed assets among these businesses.

BBVA’s management model for business banking is based on the commitment to and close relationships it has with customers.  The bank is currently the No. 1 provider of financing to this customer segment and specializes in managing groups and government institutions. It recently signed a cooperation agreement with the European Investment Bank and the Spanish Ministry of Industry’s CEDETI (Center for the Development of Industrial Technology), and has agreements with CEOE, Cepyme, and the regional governments of Madrid, Catalonia, the Basque Country and Galicia.