Banco Azul de El Salvador
BIO has given USD 28,279,00 of Technical Assistance to Banco Azul de El Salvador, a commercial bank in El Salvador.
Amount
$ 28,279.00
Type of investment
Subsidy
Beneficiary locations
Investment field
Financial Institutions
Activity
Commercial banking
Banco Azul (BA) is one of 12 commercial banks in El Salvador, founded in 2015 with the mission to create a Salvadorian-owned bank, after the last bank with Salvadorian shareholding had been acquired by Colombian investors. The bank offers loans to corporate, SME and retail clients, takes deposits and is regulated by the Salvadoran superintendence (SSF). It forms part of the bigger group “Inversiones Financieras Grupo Azul” which holds the bank, two insurance businesses, and a brokering business. In 2022, Grupo Azul finalized the acquisition of Banco G&T Continental and integrated it into Banco Azul to strengthen the bank’s position in the market (8th biggest).
The bank approached BIO in 2023 for a USD 15M Senior loan to finance their SME loan portfolio, including a small part of green loans. Banco Azul’s loan portfolio is mainly backed by deposits, but they have also been able to secure debt financing from international lenders such as DEG, Cofides, Symbiotics. The bank’s strategic target for the coming years is to grow its SME client portfolio and to provide the full range of services required by their clients.
The BIO’s USD 15 million loan has been fundamental to advancing their strategic objectives. This support has significantly contributed to the development of their internal capabilities, the strengthening of their responsible financial services offering, and the positioning of the Bank as an institution committed to transparency, equity, and sustainability.
Technical assistance
The main objective of the project is enable Banco Azul to integrate climate-related risks into portfolio management, aligned with best practices set in international standards and frameworks, including:
• International Sustainability Reporting Standards on sustainability disclosure and climate-related risks (IFRS S1 and S2)
• TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures) as a reference framework in governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics associated with climate change
• UNEP FI Principles for Responsible Banking Budget USD % BIO 28.279 80
• NGFS (Network for Greening the Financial System): recommendations from central banks and supervisors for integrating climate risks into financial management.
• Green, Social, and Sustainable Bond Principles (ICMA): useful as a reference for linking climate strategy with potential financial instruments.
View more of our investments in this region
Financial Institutions
Optima Servicios Financieros S.A. de C.V.
4,927.00
El Salvador
28/10/2025
Subsidy
