EIB and BBVA Launch €380 Million Guarantee Facility and Advisory Partnership to Expand Sustainable Lending Across Europe

EIB and BBVA Launch €380 Million Guarantee Facility and Advisory Partnership to Expand Sustainable Lending Across Europe

(IN BRIEF) The European Investment Bank and BBVA have signed two complementary agreements to advance green finance and climate action capabilities. The first establishes a €380 million EIB guarantee facility covering 50% of a €760 million portfolio of sustainable projects, enabling BBVA to expand lending to individuals, homeowner associations, SMEs, and real estate developers while optimising regulatory capital through a significant risk transfer structure. The second agreement provides advisory support under the InvestEU Advisory Hub, with EIB experts assisting BBVA in project origination, eligibility assessment, product development, and impact reporting, particularly in real estate and infrastructure. Announced during the Green Gateway event in Luxembourg, the partnership reinforces efforts to mobilise sustainable investment and strengthen the financial sector’s role in supporting Europe’s climate objectives.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 12-Feb-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — European Investment Bank and BBVA have entered into two strategic agreements aimed at strengthening sustainable finance and expanding climate-action capabilities within the financial sector.

The first agreement establishes a guarantee facility of up to €380 million, designed to mobilise sustainable investments across a broader portfolio. Under the structure, the EIB will guarantee approximately 50% of a portfolio of up to €760 million. In parallel, BBVA will originate a new portfolio of eligible green projects equivalent to 100% of the maximum guaranteed amount. The financing is intended to benefit individuals, homeowner associations, small and medium-sized enterprises, and real estate developers pursuing environmentally responsible initiatives.

The transaction qualifies as a significant risk transfer (SRT) operation, enabling BBVA to release regulatory capital while continuing to expand lending activities. This structure supports the bank’s capital optimisation strategy while facilitating increased investment in climate-focused projects and sustainable housing solutions that generate both environmental and social impact.

The second agreement centres on advisory cooperation under the InvestEU Advisory Hub. Through this framework, EIB Advisory will provide technical guidance to BBVA to enhance its climate action and environmental sustainability capabilities. The advisory scope includes support for project origination, eligibility assessments, product design, and impact reporting, with particular emphasis on the real estate and infrastructure sectors.

In addition, the EIB will advise on financing mechanisms and grant schemes, including coordination between public funding instruments, EIB financial tools, and other risk mitigation solutions. The objective is to help BBVA further integrate sustainability considerations into its lending practices while identifying innovative financing models that can deliver measurable environmental outcomes.

The agreements were announced at the Green Gateway event in Luxembourg, organised by the EIB Group with financial backing from the European Commission’s InvestEU Advisory Hub. The gathering convened more than 200 representatives from partner banks and key stakeholders to explore developments in green intermediated finance and advisory services across Europe.

Background information

About the Green Gateway Advisory Initiative

The event highlighted the Green Gateway advisory platform, the EIB Group’s one‑stop shop for identifying, assessing and reporting on green investments. Through Green Gateway, EIB advisory services helped increase green intermediated finance and guarantee operations with partner banks from €2.6 billion to €4.7 billion in 2025.

A key component of the platform is the EIB Group Green Checker, an online tool that enables intermediaries to assess compliance with the EIB Group’s green eligibility criteria for intermediated financing. Green Gateway combines digital tools with tailored advisory support—covering product development, portfolio screening, impact reporting and training—which has already been delivered to around 50 financial intermediaries in 20 countries. The platform is further complemented by an eligibility helpdesk, an expanded e‑learning programme with ten modules for intermediaries and SMEs, and a dedicated webinar series for partner banks.

About the EIB Group  

The European Investment Bank (ElB) Group is the long-term financing institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion of new financing for over 870 high-impact projects in eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, strong global partnerships and the savings and investment union.

In Spain, the EIB Group has carried out financing and investment operations in 2025 totalling around €11 billion, which came alongside an additional €2.9 billion under the Regional Resilience Fund (NextGenerationEU loans).

About EIB Advisory

In addition to financing, the EIB Group offers advisory services that help public and private clients develop markets, build capacity and support high-impact investment projects.  In 2025 EIB Advisory helped accelerate project delivery and crowd in finance for 179 operations inside and outside the European Union.

Photos of the EIB Group’s spokespeople and headquarters, logo files and video B-roll for media use are available here.

Media Contact:

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

Press Office

press@eib.org
+352 43791

SOURCE: European Investment Bank