• The transaction aims to expand access to credit for micro and small businesses in Colombia’s Amazon region.

• The thematic bond will channel resources toward sustainable social projects.

   

BOGOTÁ – IDB Invest has subscribed to Bancamía’s first Amazon Bond in Colombia, the first bond of its kind issued by a private financial institution worldwide. The transaction seeks to increase access to financing for micro and small enterprises in the country’s Amazon region.

The issuance totaled 80 billion Colombian pesos (approximately $20 million), and the bond was subscribed by IDB Invest in Colombia’s secondary market.

This transaction marks a milestone in the development of thematic financial instruments with a social and environmental focus, aligned with the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) principles for green and social bonds. The bond was structured under the Amazon Bond Issuance Guidelines, jointly developed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank.

The operation is part of “Amazonia Forever”, the IDB Group’s regional coordination program aimed at conservation and sustainable development in the region. Bancamía, an entity of the BBVA Microfinance Foundation, is part of the “Amazon Financial Network,” an initiative between IDB Invest and IFC that supports financing through financial institutions in this territory.

In addition to financing, IDB Invest will provide technical assistance to develop strategies that promote access to financial services in Colombia’s Amazon region. Furthermore, IDB Invest supported Bancamía in preparing the use-of-proceeds framework and obtaining the second-party opinion for the bond issuance.

About IDB Invest  

IDB Invest, a member of the IDB Group, is a multilateral development bank committed to promoting the economic development of its member countries in Latin America and the Caribbean through the private sector. IDB Invest finances sustainable companies and projects to achieve financial results and maximize economic, social, and environmental development in the region. With a portfolio of $22 billion in assets under management and more than 440 clients in 25 countries, IDB Invest provides innovative financial solutions and advisory services that meet the needs of its clients in a variety of industries. Visit our website: www.idbinvest.org/en.

About Amazonia Forever

Amazonia Forever is the IDB Group’s regional coordination program designed to protect biodiversity and accelerate sustainable development through three lines of action: expanding innovative financing, promoting knowledge exchange, and facilitating regional coordination among the eight countries that encompass the Amazon.

About the Amazon Financial Network

The Amazon Financial Network was launched in 2023 as a joint initiative between IDB Invest and IFC. The network, part of the IDB’s Amazonia Forever Program and the World Bank Group’s Amazonia Viva Program, aims to increase investment flows, mobilize capital, promote financial inclusion, share knowledge on innovative financial solutions, and create synergies with the public sector to achieve sustainable impact across the Amazon region.

About Bancamía

Bancamía S.A., an entity of the BBVA Microfinance Foundation, is Colombia’s first microfinance bank. With more than 17 years of experience, it is dedicated to improving the quality of life of low-income families by facilitating access to financial and non-financial products and services, primarily for microentrepreneurs. Bancamía was born from the merger of three nonprofit institutions: BBVA Microfinance Foundation, Corporación Mundial de la Mujer Colombia, and Corporación Mundial de la Mujer Medellín – De Mis Manos. This origin reflects our commitment to vulnerable communities and the creation of opportunities for sustainable development. Learn more at: www.bancamia.com.co.