- The EIF has signed guarantee agreements with these three institutions to facilitate access to finance for micro‑entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs in Spain.
- The EIF’s investment will help mobilise approximately EUR 12 million to support access to finance for these enterprises.
- The operation is backed by InvestEU, the EU programme designed to mobilise more than EUR 372 billion in investments by 2027.
The European Investment Fund (EIF) has signed guarantee agreements with Soria Futuro, Treball Solidari and Fundació Seira to improve access to finance for micro‑enterprises and entrepreneurs in Spain’s social sector.
The EIF guarantee will enable these organisations to mobilise up to EUR 12 million in support of Spain’s social sector, reducing the traditional financial barriers faced by micro‑enterprises and entrepreneurs operating in this field.
With Soria Futuro, the EIF has signed a guarantee of up to EUR 2 million to support the granting of loans to enterprises with a social purpose, with a focus on the province of Soria and on areas such as sustainability, innovation and technological development, with the aim of revitalising one of the most depopulated regions of Spain.
With Fundació Seira, the EIF has signed a guarantee of up to EUR 3.3 million to facilitate access to finance for the social and cooperative economy in Catalonia.
With Treball Solidari, the EIF has signed a guarantee of up to EUR 5 million to support micro‑financing for projects led by migrant women entrepreneurs, focusing on the autonomous communities of the Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Madrid.
The agreement was signed in Madrid in the presence of Marco Marrone, Chief Investment Officer of the EIF; Jaime Durán, Policy Officer at the European Commission’s DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion; Sergio Cabrerizo, Director of Soria Futuro; Antonio Sierra Rincón from Treball Solidari; and Laia Bonastra Arguello from Fundació Seira.
“Thanks to these agreements, the EIF continues to strengthen its commitment to the Spanish social sector, making it easier for micro‑enterprises and entrepreneurs whose main goal is to contribute to a better world to access finance,” said Marco Marrone, Chief Investment Officer of the EIF. “The alliance with Soria Futuro, Treball Solidari and Fundació Seira will ensure that the EIF’s investment reaches areas where it can have the greatest impact and where it is most needed to boost the social sector in Spain.”
“This agreement represents a significant boost for Soria Futuro’s activities and will allow us to exponentially increase the economic and social impact we generate in the province of Soria,” said Sergio Cabrerizo, Director of Soria Futuro.
The President of Treball Solidari, Antoni Sierra, stated: “For us, this is recognition of the good work carried out by the programme over the past 14 years and a gateway to a new stage in which we hope to support many more people in vulnerable situations in our country.”
Laia Bonastra, President of Fundació Seira, added: “Two and a half years ago, when we created a patient and non‑speculative investment vehicle to promote cooperativism, we knew how difficult it would be to consolidate the project. This guarantee will allow us to drive forward a dream that once seemed impossible.”
The EIF guarantees are backed by InvestEU, the EU programme designed to mobilise more than EUR 372 billion in investment by 2027.
General Information
About the EIF
The European Investment Fund (EIF) is part of the European Investment Bank Group (EIB Group). Its main mission is to support European micro‑enterprises and small and medium‑sized enterprises by improving their access to finance. The EIF designs and develops venture and growth capital instruments, guarantees and micro‑finance tools specifically tailored to this segment of the economy. Through its activity, it contributes to key EU policy objectives such as competitiveness and growth, innovation and digitalisation, social impact, skills and human capital development, climate action and environmental sustainability.
The EIB Group, which includes both the EIF and the European Investment Bank (EIB), signed EUR 12.3 billion in new financing in Spain in 2024 for more than 100 high‑impact projects, contributing to the country’s green and digital transitions, economic growth, competitiveness and improved public services.
About InvestEU
The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with crucial long‑term financing by mobilising significant public and private funds in support of sustainable recovery. It also helps attract private investment aligned with EU policy priorities such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition.
InvestEU brings together under one umbrella the financial instruments previously available to support investment in the EU, making project financing simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components:
• The InvestEU Fund
• The InvestEU Advisory Hub
• The InvestEU Portal
The InvestEU Fund is deployed through partners who invest in projects backed by the EU budget guarantee of EUR 26.2 billion. The entire guarantee is expected to mobilise at least EUR 372 billion in additional investments.
About Treball Solidari
Treball Solidari is an NGO founded in 2000 whose main objective is to promote human development through work. Based in Palma, it has extended its presence in recent years to Menorca, Eivissa, Barcelona, Cantabria, Madrid, Valladolid and Valencia.
Its areas of work include international cooperation and development education; labour‑market insertion programmes for people in vulnerable situations in Spain through initiatives such as CONFÍA, focused on supporting women’s self‑employment, and COMBINA, which facilitates labour-market integration and professional guidance. It also supports people seeking to start entrepreneurial projects and individuals wishing to return voluntarily to their country of origin through the Voluntary Return programme.
About Fundació Seira
Fundació Seira is the leading organisation for social and cooperative finance in Catalonia. Created in 2008, its mission is to support and promote cooperativism, especially worker cooperatives. Seira is the investment vehicle of the Federation of Worker Cooperatives of Catalonia, and the first patient and sustainable financing solution designed to strengthen Social and Solidarity Economy organisations.
Seira builds trust between financial institutions and cooperatives through practical tools and training tailored to their needs. Since its creation, Seira Inversió Social has invested in 28 Social and Solidarity Economy projects, disbursing a total of EUR 2,348,411. In the past year alone, it has provided financial guidance to 122 organisations, securing financing of over EUR 12.5 million.
About Soria Futuro
Soria Futuro, S.A. is an investment company founded in 2002, currently supported by Caja Rural de Soria, the Institute for Business Competitiveness of Castile and León, and the Provincial Council of Soria. Its main objective is to drive economic and social development in Soria by supporting business projects operating in the province through financial instruments such as participatory loans and/or temporary equity stakes.
The organisation also provides hands‑on, comprehensive support to the projects it invests in. Soria Futuro operates as an evergreen vehicle, having created a balanced and stable business model with an appropriate balance between social and economic impact.
Since its creation, it has invested in dozens of companies in Soria, generating an induced investment of nearly EUR 90 million for the region and more than 900 jobs (over 2 percent of Soria’s active population). By the end of 2024, its net assets were 1.57 times higher than its share capital due to active resource management.
Key sectors of investment include energy transition, health, agri‑food and the forest industry. With the InvestEU programme, Soria Futuro expects to mobilise EUR 2 million in direct investment, generating an estimated EUR 9 million in induced investment and the creation and/or maintenance of 160 jobs in the region.
