Fibank Head Office Bulgaria scaled
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First Investment Bank and Mastercard Launch the Sustainable Lady Fund

The Smart Lady Club, a program devoted to supporting women entrepreneurs in Bulgaria, is officially back. Twenty-six successful businesswomen attended The Club’s first live event this year. Attendees discussed their plans, current and future projects and visions for business development. The topic of the event, organized by First Investment Bank, was “Innovative Ideas With a Mission: Protect the Environment.”

The Sustainable Lady Fund is part of the Smart Lady program. Above all, the Fund’s objective is to support innovative green projects of Bulgarian women entrepreneurs. First Investment Bank created the fund in partnership with Mastercard.

Highlighting the importance of sustainability

As of July 23, those who want to become part of the Fund will be able to apply on the Smart Lady website. A competent jury will then evaluate their proposals. The top ranking projects in two categories will receive funding. Each project will receive BGN лв5,000 for implementation of the boldest and most sustainable projects. Fibank will announce the lucky winners at a special ceremony in October in Sofia. A month later, the organizers are also planning to launch a socially responsible initiative in support the Fund’s activities for 2022, so that it can lend a hand to even more innovative ideas aimed at environmental protection.

“The Sustainable Lady program will be further developed and upgraded in order to meet the needs of our customers and of their innovative, environmentally friendly businesses. Never before has it been so important to show responsibility not only to each other but also to future generations and our bank will make a point of doing this every day,” commented representatives from First Investment Bank.

A commitment to the environment

Mastercard believes that innovation is meaningless unless it radically improves the wellbeing of people and the planet. In 2020, Mastercard made a commitment to support 25 million women entrepreneurs around the world. The goal is to include them in the digital economy by 2025. The joint project with Fibank is part of this long-term global commitment. Sustainable Lady is also among the first initiatives of the green network of global and local projects of Mastercard in support of the environment.

“The age of digitalization has changed not only us, but also the way we do business. I am here to support women entrepreneurs who have the courage to start something new, something of their own. We at Mastercard encourage new ideas, and even if they are focused on environmental protection, we stand firmly behind them,” said Vanya Manova, Mastercard manager for Bulgaria, Northern Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo.

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