• The Group’s most senior management body is to meet with the region’s key public authorities and business organisations to express its commitment to continue contributing to the economic and social development of the region
  • Banco Sabadell will hold the annual meeting of its six territorial Advisory Boards in the Community of Valencia each year
  • From now on, the Banco Sabadell Foundation will hold its Marine Sustainability Awards ceremony in Alicante
  • The Institution will strengthen the Technological Skills Centre of Alicante (CCTA), which already generates 900 jobs in Alicante, and the Companies Hub in Valencia, with which it supports SMEs, businesses and self-employed professionals

27 January 2025

This year, Banco Sabadell Group will increase the financial support it provides to households and businesses in the Community of Valencia, with an uplift of 1,000 million euros. It expects to grant more than 8,300 million euros in loans to individuals, SMEs, businesses and self-employed professionals, which is 15% more than the amount granted last year.

The Institution’s Chairman, Josep Oliu, and its CEO, César González-Bueno, will be in Alicante and Valencia today and tomorrow to reaffirm the Group’s long-term commitment to the Community of Valencia in a series of meetings that it will hold with heads of the main institutions of the region and province of Alicante, as well as major business organisations in the territory.

Banco Sabadell representatives plan to meet with: President of the Government of the Community of Valencia (Generalitat Valenciana), Carlos Mazón; mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala; Chairman of the Alicante Chamber of Commerce, Carlos Baño; Chairman of the Valencia Chamber of Commerce and Board of Chambers of the Community of Valencia, José Vicente Morata; President of the Business Confederation of the Community of Valencia (CEV), Salvador Navarro; Vice-President and Secretary General of the Valencia Association of Entrepreneurs (AVE), Agnès Noguera and Diego Lorente, respectively; and President of the CEV Alicante, Joaquín Pérez.

Meetings are also planned with the respective Presidents of the Business Union of the Province of Alicante (UEPAL), the Alicante Advanced Tertiary Association (Asociación Terciario Avanzado Alicante), the Valencia Footwear Association (AVECAL), the Alicante Executives Circle (Círculo de Directivos de Alicante), the Alicante Provincial Centre for Young Farmers (ASAJA Alicante), the Valencia Hotel & Tourism Business Association (HOSBEC), the Alicante Association of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation (APHA), the Alicante Federation of Metal Businesses (FEMPA), the Valencia Supermarkets Association (ASUCOVA) and the Business Circle of Elche and surrounding area (CEDELCO).

At these meetings, Banco Sabadell will express its commitment to the economic and social development of the Community of Valencia, and will explain that the decision to move Sabadell’s registered office will not affect customers, branches or any of the Group’s professionals, who will remain based in the same workplaces as before.

Banco Sabadell’s strong ties with the autonomous community originated in Alicante, where Caja Mediterráneo (CAM) was set up and later became part of the Group in December 2011. This led to it becoming one of the leading financial institutions in the region, with more than 200 branches and around 2,300 employees, managing 25% of business generated by the Bank’s commercial network in Spain.

Increased presence

To continue developing its presence in one of its original territories, the Bank has decided that the annual meeting of the Bank’s six territorial Advisory Boards will be held each year in Alicante. It will also boost and enhance the activities of the existing Companies Hub in Valencia, through which it supports SMEs, businesses and self-employed professionals.

In addition, this year and going forward, the Banco Sabadell Foundation will hold its Marine Sustainability awards ceremony, which promotes scientific research, in Alicante. This award aims to promote the work of Spanish scientists in the fields of marine sustainability, sustainable use of resources and regeneration of natural capital.

Banco Sabadell will also continue to develop the work of the Technological Skills Centre of Alicante (Centro de Competencias Tecnológicas de Alicante, or CCTA), which directly employs 386 professionals of the Bank and indirectly employs a further 500 people, who work to promote and enhance the Bank’s digital strategy by implementing cutting-edge projects in innovation. Projects developed at the CCTA include the first quantum encryption pilot in Spain and an Artificial Intelligence application to provide customer care for vulnerable customers. These projects are carried out in coordination with partners, universities and research groups.

Support for those affected by DANA

The Institution has been committed from the outset to helping families and businesses affected by the impact of DANA in the Community of Valencia. It will continue working with the Generalitat Valenciana and with other institutions to implement further measures.

Banco Sabadell opened a fundraising account to gather donations from citizens, which will be used to rebuild the affected areas. The account received a total of 8.5 million euros, including three million euros donated by Banco Sabadell. In this respect, Banco Sabadell is working with the Generalitat Valenciana on a proposal to distribute the funds raised in the most effective way.

On the other hand, the Bank approved a 100 million euro extension of the line of credit available to the Generalitat Valenciana, and also extended the official funding and guarantee facilities of the Mutual Guarantee Society (MGS) so that this institution may help those affected.

Recently, through an agreement reached with Afin SGR, the Institution has expanded the financial support offered to SMEs affected by the floods to help them recover their economic activity through loans and working capital credit at zero cost to the customer, with its “0% DANA loan”.

Banco Sabadell also waived fees on cash withdrawals at ATMs, discounted maintenance fees for PoS devices at retail outlets, and strengthened direct customer care by opening local centres with specialist staff on hand to provide guidance and assistance for customers. It also rolled out mobile branches and installed temporary ATMs in the most badly affected areas to ensure the continuity of financial services.