In this sense, Unicaja Banco has recently entered into an agreement with the ICO to provide SMEs and large companies with financing for energy efficiency investments.
Unicaja Banco has participated, together with Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO, Official Credit Institute), in a workshop held in Sevilla and aimed at businesses and shops, on financing and the new line created by ICO and the Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDEA, Instituto para la Diversificación y Ahorro de la Energía) to support investments in energy efficiency. This line, to which Grupo Unicaja Banco has adhered, aims at improving energy consumptions of businesses in the hospitality sector, of SMEs and large companies, both in the industrial and commercial sector. This informative workshop, organized in collaboration with the Andalusia Business Confederation of Commerce (CECA) has been attended by nearly fifty business owners, as well as presidents and representatives from different sectors of Andalusian commerce.
The session, held yesterday at Círculo Mercantil in Sevilla, was inaugurated by CECA General Secretary, Fernando J. Pérez, and by the Regional Director of Commerce and ICEX for Andalusia of the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness, José Álvarez, and has been attended by the Head of Intermediation Management Area of ICO, Javier González, who has explained the main features of the new financing line. Unicaja Banco has been represented by Salvador Navarro, Head of Business Banking, who has given information about the specialized products that the financial institution has for SMEs in the region, with special focus on the specific loans for investment in energy efficiency.
This new ICO and IDAE line allocate funds (up to 100 million euros) for financial institutions subscribed to the programmes to provide loans to businesses to carry out energy efficiency projects.
In this sense, Grupo Unicaja Banco is one of the few institutions adhered to the the new ICO-IDAE line for Energy Efficiency 2018, with agreements entered into with ICO by Unicaja Banco and by its subsidiary EspañaDuero. This allows them to be able to provide financing to SMEs and large companies to carry out energy efficiency projects. In particular, financing is available to cover the costs linked to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, as well as cut final energy consumption by using energy efficiency. This financing line is available to SMEs and large companies in the industrial, commercial and hosptiality sectors. To apply for these loans, businesses in Andalusia may go to any Unicaja Banco branch. Also, as usual, the institution offers one more year the ICO line for businesses and entrepreneurs, aimed at providing financing for productive investment and liquidity.
Grupo Unicaja Banco’s interest in making the ICO financing available to companies falls with its activity as financial and credit institution with a social nature, playing a relevant role in boosting the territorial economic development through the financial support to businesses and entrepreneurs. ICO lines complete the wide range of specialized financial products and services that Unicaja Banco offers to businesses, freelancers and entrepreneurs to support their activities.