Spain
COFIDES is a state-owned company which has been offering financial support to Spanish companies investing abroad since 1988.
It provides medium and long-term financing for viable private investment projects that, based on profitability criteria, contribute both to the development of the host countries and the internationalization of both the Spanish economy and Spanish companies.
To fulfil its dual purpose, COFIDES uses its own resources to finance investment projects in emerging or developing economies and manages the following funds on behalf of the Spanish State.
- Fund for Foreign Investments (FIEX)
- Fund for SMEs on Foreign Investment Operations (FONPYME)
COFIDES also supports the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo-AECID (the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation) in the management of FONPRODE - Fondo para la Promoción del Desarrollo (Development Promotion Fund). COFIDES holds as well the EU accreditation to manage the EU Budget, allowing it to structure transactions with a high impact on development. It is also accredited by the UN’s Green Climate Fund and can structure operations on climate change mitigation and adaptation for that Fund.
COFIDES regularly engages in Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), sometimes structured under project finance schemes.
As an accredited entity to manage the European Union budget funds, it can submit blending projects, i.e. an instrument that allows it to leverage a significant volume of resources to make investments in situations and sectors of potentially higher initial risk. Therefore, initially excluded private sector investments projects can become bankable. The European Union has made a clear commitment to foster private investment as an engine for sustainable development, employment and growth in African and neighbouring countries through the EU External Investment Plan. COFIDES is actively working to strengthen its role as a trusted partner with the European Commission in this area.
Also, as an accredited entity of the United Nations Green Climate Fund, COFIDES identifies and structures mitigation and adaptation projects through private institutions or public bodies.
COFIDES is committed to ethical and lawful management of its business activity and guided by the values which constitute its strategic framework, with the conviction that ethical conduct in business and good corporate governance practices go hand in hand with business and social success.
Thus, it promotes the values of excellence in the management of its activity with a clear commitment to quality, transparency and equal opportunities.
Since the start of its activity, COFIDES has approved a total of 961 investment projects in nearly 90 countries. In these projects, it has committed over EUR 3.25 billion for a total investment of more than EUR 37 billion.
