In addition to the milestones achieved by Locfund Next, our Technical Support Component has successfully managed over 70 projects across 34 Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) in 13 countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. These projects spanned all strategic areas of the facility, each designed to strengthen the institutional framework of the sector: 🌱 ESG 🌍…
BIM has become a signatory company of the WEPs (Women’s Empowerment Principles). This achievement continues to demonstrate our commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment, both internally at BIM and externally, with our portfolio of microfinance institutions at Locfund and MiLac. WEPs is considered a fundamental tool to promote inclusive policies, practices and strategies that…
Locfund Next welcomes DFC to La Paz. We are honored to have hosted Caroline Vance with whom we reviewed the progress of Locfund Next and outlined a joint strategy for 2025. The entire BIM team joined DFC for this important occasion, including Zuleyma Hernandez, who traveled from San Salvador to be with us. We were also pleased…
BIM hosted its traditional annual dinner, bringing together members of the committees and teams from Locfund Next, Milac Next, GIF, ESG, and back office. The event featured a presentation of the year’s results and the objectives for the 2025 strategy. Fernando Sánchez, CEO of BIM, emphasized that beyond the company’s mission and vision, the work…
With the support of Locfund Next, executives from Corporación Interactuar of Colombia visited Banco Adopem in Dominican Republic during the last quarter of 2024, where they exchanged knowledge, experiences and best practices in several key areas. At BIM, we believe in the power of synergies to strengthen the financial ecosystem. For this reason, through Locfund…
Locfund Next was honored receiving the representatives of FMO and FinDev Canada. Interesting discussions at our offices and on-field visits to end clients in Bolivia (Pro Mujer) and Paraguay (Fundación Paraguaya) took place last month. We appreciate the kind efforts from Pauline Mulder and Danny Colodro, from FMO; Jessie Greene, Thomas Luger and Horacio Aguilera Salinas, from FinDev Canada; and Sean…
A fruitful meeting with Locfund Next investors took place in New York. This meeting allowed us to review progress and reinforce our commitment to the financial inclusion in Latin America and The Caribbean. We are especially grateful for the presence of Eric Van den Bosch (BIO), Heidi Achong (NORFUND), Thomas Luger (FinDev Canada), Caroline Norton Vance (DFC), Felix Knidlberger (SEFEM)….
The Locfund Next team had the pleasure to welcome, from Medellín, colleagues from Corporación Interactuar. We thank board members Lina María Echeverri Pérez, Luis Carlos Amaya Lopez and Camilo Tobón Urrea, and management team Lina Maria Montoya Madrigal and Katherine Jaller for their recent visit to La Paz, Bolivia. The meeting has been a valuable…
Locfund Next held the second version of the ‘Foro Connect’ congress this August 14 and 15 at the Hilton Hotel in San Salvador, El Salvador, with more than 100 managers and directors from 35 institutions from 11 countries or Latinamerica and the Caribbean. The inauguration was attended by the IDB Group representative in El Salvador,…
We were thrilled to host Maria Berger and Miguel Inchaurronodo from OeEB – The Development Bank of Austria, during their trip to assess Locfund Next. Together, we visited two branches of Idepro IFD in Santa Cruz, where we engaged with end clients across diverse business segments, gaining invaluable insights from their experiences. It was a…
For Locfund Next and its Technical Assistance Facility, it was a pleasure to co-finance the internship carried out by Avanza Sólido S.A de C.V. in La Paz, Bolivia, focused on learning about the best practices in social management, digital transformation, credit technology, operations and credit process, together with IDEPRO IFD and Pro Mujer Bolivia. We…
Locfund Next and BIM appreciate the visit of the main executives of Avanza Sólido S.A., who arrived from Mexico to hold several meetings in Bolivia. It was a real pleasure to have you with us. Have a nice return trip!
BIM Ltd. annual meeting took place in La Paz-Bolivia. Team members of Locfund Next, MiLac, GIF, Innovasol, ESG and Technical Support presented the results of the year and the objectives for 2024 always focused on improving the financial inclusion in Latin America and The Caribbean.
BIM is pleased to participate in the Amazon Financial Network announced at the COP28 conference in Dubai. This innovative alliance seeks to generate a sustainable impact in the Amazon region, supporting projects that can expand access to financing and thus promote economic development, reducing poverty and inequality. This network was created at the United Nations Conference on Climate…
In November, BIM organized the seminar “ALM Management in the current situation”, held in Santo Domingo, with the attendance of 75 industry representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean. During the inauguration, Cesar Castillo, Director of Locfund Next, stated: “We are here to provide opportunities, because that is true inclusion”, thus ratifying one of the…
This October, Locfund Next received the SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPEMENT GOALS seal, valid for two years, after ICR Systems & Management, an independent verification firm, carried out a rigorous review and evaluation based on standards from the International Auditing and Assurance Standard Boards (IAASB) and ISAE 3000 (Standard for assurance over non-financial information).
Sustainability is the key to a financial system inclusive and socially responsible. That was the thematic axis of the XXIII Ecuadorian Forum on Financial Inclusion, in Cuenca, Ecuador. Our colleague, Diego Andres O’keeffe Ascarrunz, represented us in what has been a great occasion for the analysis and exchange of experiences about post-pandemic scenarios, the environmental…
Fernando Sánchez was part of the panel “People, beyond microfinance. New frontiers to inclusive finance” at the recent forum “Future of finance”, organized by FMO, in Amsterdam. On the occasion, the conversation turned around cutting-edge solutions, better products, services, and innovative strategies, highlighting the advances and challenges of the microfinance sector in the region. The…
The Locfund II Technical Support Facility (TSF) has become a successful story thanks to BIO, FMO, NORFUND and SECO. The TSF has generated a multiplier impact in the mitigation and reduction of financial inclusion gaps in vulnerable communities. At BIM we are proud to communicate the culmination of the TSF-Locfund II in November 2022, after…
The twenty-sixth version of the Bolivian Maya Awards recently honored our youngest company, Innovasol S.A., for its contribution to energy efficiency. Innovasol is an instrument of the BIM impact investments group and offers its clients the conversion to solar energy, betting on the environment conservation by converting solar energy into a great opportunity to reduce…
With the support of the TSF of Locfund II, this important Salvadoran entity has just launched “AMC MOVIL”, a platform in which its clients can make different inquiries and financial transactions, such as balance inquiries in savings accounts, time deposits, credits and credit cards inquiries, loan installments payments, credit card payments and transfers between accounts….
Fundación Paraguaya, with the support of the TSF of Locfund II and the team of digital consultants from Serinea Investments S.L. has implemented a tool based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the onboarding of new clients and the management of current clients through a chatbot and a CRM, allowing a continuous and direct communication through…
52 MFIs from 14 countries have participated on our recent study, the Digital Transformation Diagnostic. The average score of the Diagnostic is 10.7 points out of 20, resulting as part of the “Explorer” level, the second of the four established levels of digital transformation. 25 MFIs are considered “Explorer”. Although there has been considerable progress…
The Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) and the Inter-American Investment Corportion (IIC), members of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group, BIM Asset Management and AC Capitales SAFI join forces to create the “Peru Microfinance Investment Fund”, the first private investment fund for microfinance in Peru that will connect Peruvian MSMEs with capital markets. See the image…
Financial specialists from BIM and UBS shared an illustrative session of analysis and projections on investments and sustainability in Latin America, together with more than 60 entrepreneurs. The conversation began with the assertion that the macroeconomic and investment outlook in global financial markets will be relatively constructive this year. This, together with a series of…
BIM, through the TSF (Technical Support Facility) of Locfund Next is proud to announce the signing of a technical cooperation agreement with IDB Lab for USD 500,000 to execute the project “Locfund Next: Financial Inclusion and Digital Transformation in Microfinance Institutions of America Latin America and the Caribbean ”. The project will have a duration…
At BIM we work incessantly to offer new solutions for the microfinance industry. Today we present the result of an initiative that comes to continue promoting financial inclusion: LOCFUND NEXT.
Fernando Sánchez, CEO of BIM, was invited by the National Chamber of Industries of Bolivia to share a talk with Marcelo Trigo, representative of the Association of Private Banks of Bolivia. The conversation revolved around the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the decisions that companies must make to face a changing and, many…
Our CEO, Fernando Sánchez, was invited this week to the Learn about the March space to talk about leadership in times of crisis, along with Claudia Daza, Marco Mollinedo and Ronald Olguín. “Not even the most pessimistic of CEOs has considered a pandemic among their potential risks this year,” commented Marco Mollinedo at the beginning…
In recent days, Fernando Sanchez, CEO of BIM Ltd. was invited to speak on a crucial issue today: making financial decisions in times of crisis. The event consisted of a webinar organized by the Universidad Católica Boliviana San Pablo, whose facilitator was Guillermo Gonzales, Director of the Postgraduate Department and where the finance specialist, Gustavo…
BIM and Grupo Panamerican celebrated Mr. Fernando Prado Guachalla’s 30-year long contribution to financial inclusion in Latin America. Among many other important initiatives, Mr. Prado lead the Prospero Microfinanzas Fund, which invested in 9 microfinance institutions in 6 Latin American countries, impacting the lives of people who were financially unattended at the time. Our special…
Prospero was created with the purpose of strengthening equity management capability, focused in emerging microfinance institutions in Latin America and The Caribbean, contributing to positive social impact to microfinance clients through its portfolio investments. Being completed its investments in 2014, began to work side by side with its partners, providing an active support for the…
BIM announces the launch of INNOVASOL S.A., a new initiative that will promote the use of solar energy through photovoltaic systems, offering a comprehensive service to organizations and companies, which includes design, engineering, installation and financing solutions. This marks the beginning of a new stage in the Bolivian energy market. We work to promote renewable…
The GIF Project has a new achievement to announce: it currently supports 70 microfinance institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean, in the areas of governance and financial inclusion, thus exceeding its initial goal. Thanks to the support of the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation – SECO and BID LAB. An effort from our colleagues…
We announce the launch of a new Locfund II Technical Assistance Component, after successfully providing 250 technical assistance processes to 60 microfinance institutions in 15 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, through coaching, on-site assistance and personalized teaching with specialists in the financial inclusion industry. Thanks to the support of BID LAB, BIO, Norfund,…
This 2019 we tackle a new project and commit to the implementation of the Poverty Stoplight, a methodology developed by Fundación Paraguaya to eliminate multidimensional poverty. With TSF – Locfund, led by Verónica Céspedes and CAF, we seek to implement the tool in Bolivia, together with Diaconía, a development financial institution.
LOCFUND II, which provides financing in local currency, has recently exceeded USD 150 million in disbursements to 51 microfinance entities, in 13 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, with a total of 172 operations. An important milestone to share in our work for microfinance and financial inclusion in the region.
Within the framework of FOROMIC, the GIF Project presented some of the main results of its report on Digital Financial Governance and Inclusion that will be published in the coming weeks. The session was attended by Juan Carlos Sánchez, Director of the GIF Project, Fernando Sánchez, CEO of BIM, Carlos Fernández, Fintech Consultant of the…
The Financial Governance and Inclusion Project (GIF) participates in FOROMIC 2018, which is the most important event in the microfinance sector in Latin America and the Caribbean, which takes place from 29 to 31 this month at the Puerta de Oro Center in Barranquilla, Colombia. The forum’s programming will include different activities that will address…
We are happy to communicate and invite our clients and friends to the Panel “Microfinance and cooperatives in a digital world”, which will be moderated by Fernando Sánchez, CEO of BIM INVESTMENTS, to be held at FOROMIC, the most important event in the sector in Latin America and Caribbean. Fernando has been invited by the…
IDB Invest, a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group, will support Locfund II’s expansion through a loan of up to $10 million. The transaction will allow Locfund II to increase the number of local currency loans to microfinance institutions, benefiting a larger number of their clients, including women-led and rural, micro- and small-sized…
BIM was recognized internationally by Capital Finance International magazine (cfi.co) as an exporter of innovation, managing specialized investment vehicles, promoting development in the region and seeking a social impact beyond financial return. | Source Article: cfi.co – Autumn 2017 Edition (page 145) cfi.org: BIM – Impact Investment Management
During August 2017, clients of Promujer Nicaragua LLC, from different community banks in the department of León participated in a focus group as part of the SPI4 social audit process. The objective of this activity is: • Design an instrument that facilitates the performance of a social audit on compliance with the essential and additional…
The GIF Project tool makes it possible to diagnose the quality status of governance and identify areas for improvement. Due to the relevance of good governance and its direct effect on the performance of organizations, the GIF Project -financed by IDB / MIF and SDC- developed a cutting-edge tool that allows diagnosing the state of…
Within the framework of the annual meeting of the Social Performance Task Force (SPTF) held from June 6 to 8, 2017 in Mexico City, Locfund / BIM participated in the meeting of social investors. This meeting brought together 25 participants from 20 organizations with the purpose of exchanging experiences, highlighting good practices and aligning efforts…
As part of the activities of Locfund’s technical assistance component, during June 2017 -in the facilities of a hotel in Guatemala City- the Course / Workshop called: “Risks and Internal Control for Microfinance” was held, organized within the framework of the Assets, Liabilities and Risks Consulting, in charge of the Consultant Pedro Fardella. The workshop…
The Panamerican group, dedicated to investment in capital markets, fund management, renewable energies and software development received the award “Best diversified group, Bolivia 2016 leadership”, awarded by the prestigious British magazine Capital Finance International (CFI.co) . According to a company press release, each year CFI.co looks for individuals and organizations that contribute significantly to the…
The first activity carried out within the framework of this agreement was the Strategy course for the Senior Management of Microfinance Institutions, held at the Incae Nicaragua Campus, in the first days of March. This training program brought together 37 directors and managers from 25 microfinance institutions from 12 countries in Latin America and the…
In 2009, when the words “impact investing” emerged on the lips of thousands of financial professionals, two important new sets of criteria emerged to begin to define what those words mean: Impact Reporting and Investment Standards (IRIS, and the Global Investment Impact Rating System (GIIRS). The inventors of such systems identified the need for measurement…
International organizations, together with Asomif, held a workshop in Lima aimed at strengthening good corporate governance with the aim of promoting the soundness and sustainability of microfinance institutions. The promotion of financial insertion in clients from vulnerable and low-income populations, the adoption of new standards and good governance practices in microfinance institutions in Peru and…