Fibank (First Investment Bank) has announced the success of its Smart Lady program, which was launched in 2018 to support Bulgarian businesswomen. The program provides a range of financial and non-financial solutions, including preferential bank products, to stimulate development and provide reliable funding. To date, Smart Lady has granted loans of almost BGN 130 million (approx. €65 million) and has assisted over 1,000 female entrepreneurs.
In 2021, Fibank launched the Sustainable Lady Fund as part of the Smart Lady program, which supports innovative green projects initiated or owned by women. To date, 12 sustainable projects have been funded, including Anna-Maria Markova’s Aerospheric project. Markova, a grant-winner in the Startup Business category, discussed her project in an interview: “Aerospheric is a project that occurred to me at the women entrepreneur mentoring program. In the project’s initial phase, a training and visitor center will be constructed in a former school building, about an hour’s drive from Sofia. The center will serve as a destination for aviation enthusiasts of all ages and will provide seminars, training sessions and participation in a variety of activities. The second phase of the project envisages a consulting business focused on aviation companies and airports in the Eastern Europe region, with a focus on reducing the carbon footprint of companies operating in the sector.”
Applications are now open for the 2024 National Mentoring Program for Women Entrepreneurs, implemented with the support of Fibank and Smart Lady. Those interested can find out more information and submit their applications at https://mentorite.bg/.
First Investment Bank (Fibank) has announced the success of its Smart Lady program, launched in 2018 to support Bulgarian businesswomen. The program has provided loans of almost BGN 130 million (approx. €65 million) to over 1,000 female entrepreneurs, as well as financial and non-financial solutions, aimed at stimulating development and providing reliable funding.
In 2021, Fibank launched the Sustainable Lady Fund, which supports innovative green projects initiated or owned by women. To date, 12 sustainable projects have been funded, including Anna-Maria Markova’s Aerospheric project. Markova, a grant-winner in the Startup Business category, discussed her project in an interview: “Aerospheric is a project that occurred to me at the women entrepreneur mentoring program. In the project’s initial phase, a training and visitor center will be constructed in a former school building, about an hour’s drive from Sofia. The center will serve as a destination for aviation enthusiasts of all ages and will provide seminars, training sessions and participation in a variety of activities. The second phase of the project envisages a consulting business focused on aviation companies and airports in the Eastern Europe region, with a focus on reducing the carbon footprint of companies operating in the sector.”
Applications are now open for the 2024 National Mentoring Program for Women Entrepreneurs, implemented with the support of Fibank and Smart Lady. Those interested can find out more information and submit their applications at https://mentorite.bg/.
First Investment Bank (Fibank) has reported the success of its Smart Lady program which was launched in 2018 to support Bulgarian businesswomen. The program provides a range of financial and non-financial solutions, including preferential bank products, to stimulate development and provide reliable funding. To date, Smart Lady has granted loans of almost BGN 130 million (approx. €65 million) and has assisted over 1,000 female entrepreneurs.
In 2021, Fibank launched the Sustainable Lady Fund as part of the Smart Lady program, which supports innovative green projects initiated or owned by women. To date, 12 sustainable projects have been funded, including Anna-Maria Markova’s Aerospheric project. Markova, a grant-winner in the Startup Business category, discussed her project in an interview: “Aerospheric is a project that occurred to me at the women entrepreneur mentoring program. In the project’s initial phase, a training and visitor center will be constructed in a former school building, about an hour’s drive from Sofia. The center will serve as a destination for aviation enthusiasts of all ages and will provide seminars, training sessions and participation in a variety of activities. The second phase of the project envisages a consulting business focused on aviation companies and airports in the Eastern Europe region, with a focus on reducing the carbon footprint of companies operating in the sector.”
First Investment Bank (Fibank) has announced the success of its Smart Lady program, which was launched in 2018 to support Bulgarian businesswomen. The program has provided loans of almost BGN 130 million (approx. €65 million) and financial and non-financial solutions to over 1,000 female entrepreneurs in order to
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.