Large project financing: investment loans for business

Do you have an approved project?

Are you looking for financing on favorable terms?

We provide our clients with professional assistance in obtaining project financing in leading Spanish banks and investment funds, including loans for the implementation of large projects.

Our partners include the largest Spanish banks such as Santander, BBVA, CaixaBank and a number of other reputable financial institutions.

We individually approach the selection of source and terms of financing for each investment project, facilitating the receipt of funds on the most favorable terms for the our client.

Top-10 leading Spanish banks in 2020:

Rating	Bank
1	Banco Santander
2	BBVA
3	CaixaBank
4	Banco de Sabadell
5	Bankia
6	Bankinter
7	KutxaBank
8	Unicaja Banco
9	Ibercaja Banco
10	Abanca

The main problems in obtaining a business loan:

• Lack of adequate collateral. One of the most common reasons a bank refuses to finance a project is the lack of collateral or suitable project participants. Very often this is associated with high credit risk. We have an individual solution for each client.

• Many banks with different criteria. Lack of experience and in-depth knowledge about how each bank works, as well as the complexity of approving a business loan or interim financing, is the second most common reason for refusal.

Our company is involved in financing large international projects in the energy and transport sectors, waste processing, industrial production, mining and processing of minerals and other industries.

We offer:

• Profitable financing models.
• Conducting a feasibility study.
• Design and construction from scratch.
• Operation, maintenance and repair.
• Project management, etc.

For over 30 years, we have been actively cooperating with private and public companies in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Discover the benefits of working with us:

• Three decades of practical experience.
• Active presence in many countries.
• Implemented investment projects for many billions of euros.
• Combining the best financial instruments based on our own know-how.
• Partnership with leading commercial banks in Spain.

We always practice an individual approach to each client.

Since each project is unique, we have developed our own algorithm, which guarantees the creation of optimal conditions for obtaining a business loan, regardless of the degree of credit risk and collateral.

We speak the same language with you and your bank.

Cooperation on financing large projects consists of the following stages:

• Analysis of your investment project. This is the first stage in which we will consider your contract with a financing organization, the current status depending on whether it is a company with a long history or a newly created project company. At this stage, we get a general idea of the situation.

• Development of a financial strategy. At the second stage, our specialists are negotiating with partner banks about specific requirements for the applicant and the project. We develop flexible financing schemes in the absence of sufficient collateral and present you a ready-made plan for obtaining a business loan.

• Signing a contract and service. This part of the work is related to the separation of advance, intermediate and final payments (depending on the chosen strategy), the issuance of the project and a possible change in the terms of the contract.

Would you like more information about our project finance investment banking services? Contact our experts at any convenient time.

Large project financing

Project finance is a unique financing technique used by many well-known corporate projects.

This method is a complex combination of financial, legal and organizational principles that are used to finance large-scale projects in the extractive industries, construction of pipelines and oil refineries, energy facilities, waste processing plants and other facilities.

Project finance is becoming the preferred alternative to traditional methods of financing infrastructure and other large projects around the world.

Project financing involves the investment of funds necessary for the implementation of an investment project from scratch. These funds can be generated from various sources, including business own funds (depreciation, retained earnings) and borrowed funds (venture capital funds, bank lending), as well as assistance from international organizations and the state budget.

A very common form is the so-called co-financing, which is expressed in the partnership of two or more institutions in providing financial support for the implementation of an investment project.

Typically, a project investor is a company that implements it. However, in the second half of the last century, the practice of using a wider range of sources, including project finance investment banking, appeared as a steady trend in industrialized countries.

As for state financial support, it is often provided in the form of state guarantees for obtaining loans, tax benefits, and so on. More rarely, entrepreneurs can rely on direct funding from the state budget.

Financing of large investment projects is usually carried out by large financial associations (permanent or created specifically for the implementation of a particular project - a consortium), as well as international financial organizations.

Project finance differs from traditional lending. This type of financing is provided not only by commercial banks, but also investment banks, investment funds, pension funds, as well as specialized funds of international and regional organizations, leasing companies, etc.

Investment loans for business in Europe

A loan from a bank is one of the most common forms of financing a business.

However, at the moment we are observing the following trend: well-known companies with a credit history can get easier access to project finance investment banking than young companies.

A positive point in the case of attracting a business loan is that your company maintain greater independence in managing the project and the funds received.

There are also disadvantages.

As we have already mentioned, obtaining a loan to finance a newly created business is a difficult task. It is very problematic to find a bank that is ready to offer favorable conditions and low interest rates for young companies.

Business loans as a source of funds for the implementation of investment projects are provided on strictly defined conditions.

From the point of view of commercial bank, loan to finance investment project is risky. Therefore, banks usually set a higher interest rate and risk premium.

Banks bear this risk only with reliable guarantees of the effectiveness of the project and sufficient collateral. In many cases, banks act as entrepreneurs and actively intervene in the development and implementation of the project, up to the management of an already commissioned facility.

Some commercial banks in the loan agreement for the construction of a certain investment object reserve the right to convert part of the loan into shares of the company managing the project.

This makes project finance one of the leverage for merging industrial and banking capital.

The reality is that today it is quite difficult to get business investment loans on optimal terms. In this regard, it is extremely important to have a reliable partner who is ready to offer a loan guarantee.

The main sources of project financing

Questions that business seeks answers to when searching for sources of financing:

• How much money is required to implement an investment project?
• What sources of large project finance are available to business?
• What is the cost of various sources of financing?
• What is the weighted average cost of capital for a new venture?
• What is the structure of sources of financing for an investment project?
• When can a business require borrowed funds?

Successful financing of your project and investment security will ultimately depend on the correct answer to each of these questions.

Sources of financing are divided into internal and external:

• Internal: retained earnings, depreciation, disinvestment (refusal to invest in other projects).
• External: equity (issuance of common and preferred shares), borrowed capital (bonds and mortgages, short-term borrowed capital), as well as financing through leasing.

As a rule, a company uses several sources of financing for its investment projects.

Financing from each source has its own cost.

The company should find a financing structure in which the cost of providing and using capital is minimal, and the risk can be considered acceptable.

Internal sources of financing

Project financing can be carried out at the expense of retained earnings. The so-called retained earnings is part of the net income that remains after the fulfillment of all obligations, including the payment of dividends.



This income can be used in two ways:

• Reinvestment in the company.
• Distribution of funds among shareholders.

It is also possible financing through depreciation. The depreciation fund of the enterprise is intended to restore worn-out fixed assets.

These funds are also used to finance projects.

Opportunities for using depreciation funds:

• The amount of cash receipts from depreciation, as a rule, is greater than what is needed to replace fixed assets at a certain moment (receipts are always the same or even higher at the beginning if a regressive system is used).
• Depreciation and retained earnings are practically not differentiated and, despite their different origins, they are used together to finance the company's investment projects.
• Replacement of certain assets is deferred beyond the depreciation period.

Another internal source of financing is disinvestment, which includes the sale of company property, inventory reduction, as well as accelerated debt collection.

External sources of financing

Currently, external sources of financing provide the main flow of funds for business development.

These funds are formed from several sources.

Firstly, it is equity (issue of common shares). A common share, in essence, gives ownership of a part of the property of the joint-stock company.

This has the following consequences for owners of common shares:

• Receiving a dividend, the amount of which is not set in advance.
• Obtaining a share of the property in case of liquidation of the company.
• The right to dispose of retained earnings of the company.
• The right to control the activities of the company.
• Responsibility to the extent of equity in the event of bankruptcy.

These shareholders are the last in line for compensation and run the risk of losing invested funds if the owners of bonds and preferred shares, as well as banks receive all assets as compensation.

The nextpossible source is the issue of preferred shares.

Features of preferred shares are as follows:

• The owners of these shares are entitled to receive a pre-agreed dividend.
• With regard to receiving dividends and distributing the remaining capital during liquidation, they have an advantage over holders of common shares, but are inferior to holders of bonds and other debt obligations.

It is also possible to raise funds by issuing bonds.

Bonds are securities issued by a company to a lender under a long-term loan.

As a debt document, bonds have a certain nominal value. They are issued for a certain period, and interest paid depends on the established rate.

At the end of the maturity, the bonds are redeemed, that is, the amount equal to the nominal value is paid to creditors.

In the event that compensation is received related to liquidation and other reasons, bondholders have the highest priority (together with banks that have provided business loans).

Project finance investment banking can be carried out by issuing business loans:

• Bank loans for investment purposes are issued for a certain period (usually 3 to 10 years).
• Loans are paid together with interest in regular periodic payments (annually, six months).
• Sometimes repayment of a bank loan begins after a grace period.

In addition to local and foreign banks, a loan on similar conditions can be obtained from other financial institutions, venture capital companies, as well as from state specialized funds, etc.

For some large projects, one of the alternative sources of project financing is leasing. The use of leasing is associated with the formation of a cash flow based on the price of new equipment, agreed rental payments, losses from non-use of the tax benefit from depreciation and other.

Venture financing is usually directed to startups with fast growth and expected high market value, as well as to established companies.

Its features include:

• Given the high risk and an active role in planning, management and marketing, the venture company expects a high return on investment.
• Financing is carried out over a long period (on average 5–6 years) and is usually carried out through the acquisition of property through shares or a loan, but with the corresponding reservations in the share purchase agreement.

The profit of a venture company is formed in the form of an increase in invested capital when the company becomes public or when a merger or purchase occurs.

Venture capital funds invest in the acquisition of shares in the company.

They assume significant risk — similar to the risk incurred by the entrepreneur, and therefore expect high returns.

Thanks to this source, entrepreneurs get the opportunity to start and develop a new business or innovative idea. They can rely on qualified assistance to manage a new company, as well as take advantage of investor contacts. In turn, the investor receives a high return on investment.

Financing innovative projects in Europe and beyond

Investments are one of the main factors in successful economic activity, improving quality and reducing costs, improving competitiveness, attracting new customers, etc.

Investments are the use of funds in a certain type of activity for a certain period of time, for which the owner of the funds will receive an income exceeding the initial amount of the investment.

Such an understanding of the nature of investment is limited in terms of innovation.

Traditional criteria for choosing an investment project, which are mainly financial in nature, are not sufficient.

Investment in innovation is the money spent on the development and / or adaptation of an innovative, high-tech and / or scientific product.

Investing involves the targeted use of capital, which leads to the implementation of the company's development strategy. Investment at the company level is closely tied to planning documents and strategic decisions.

In practice, however, few companies in developing countries associate investment with long-term strategic priorities. In most cases, investments are focused on narrow financial indicators, which are not necessarily associated with strategic prospects or even with the achievement of tactical improvements in non-financial indicators, such as quality, customer satisfaction, image, etc.

Despite the growing importance of non-financial indicators when choosing an investment project, many commercial organizations continue to allocate resources through tactical decisions that focus on short-term financial parameters in the form of cash inflows.

These organizations do not include financing potential long-term opportunities in the allocation of company resources. This requires the creation of a mechanism for integrating strategic planning into the resource allocation process. Streamlining strategic investments requires evaluating each potential investment financially and non-financially.

Investing in innovation is a complex process with high risk.

The investment decision involves the selection of mutually exclusive or competing alternatives for the most efficient investment of resources with an acceptable level of risk.

Financing innovative large projects typically covers the following:

• Analysis of the current situation.
• Forecasting and evaluating potential business opportunities.
• Forecasting potential future changes in the business environment.
• Assessment of the cost of resources: financial, personnel, informational and organizational.
• Assessment of future results in quantitative and qualitative terms.

Innovation is rarely associated with increased productivity and lower costs in the short term.

This is the key difficulty in finding funds.

Another important feature of investing in innovation is the need to manage and control costs throughout the entire product life cycle.

Competencies, information support and technology, as well as organizational structure and the ecosystem are the most important factors in increasing the efficiency of innovative processes.

Of course, resources have a price, but quantitative parameters are not always the most important when implementing an innovative project. Often, quality indicators need to be prioritized to assess resources.

Human potential, considered as an investment in innovation, includes the presence of highly qualified specialists in all necessary fields, as well as the ability to effectively work on various projects in growing teams.

Information technology and information as an investment in innovation presupposes the availability of hardware and software, up-to-date and reliable information of an interdisciplinary nature.

Organizational capital as an investment in innovative activities of the company includes teamwork, culture and spirit of the company.

Due to the lack of necessary investment opportunities for innovation, many East European companies and companies in developing countries are faced with a limitation of innovative development.

We are ready to help you with finding sources of financing for your business, including obtaining investment loans for large projects in Spanish banks.

Our project finance investment banking services

In addition to the standard set of financial instruments, we assist our clients in obtaining loans from leading Spanish banks for large infrastructure, energy and environmental facilities around the world.

Applicants can be both newly established companies and existing businesses with a long credit history.

Depending on the scale of a specific project, we can arrange syndication or external co-financing with other financial institutions, including using European investment mechanisms.

A key element in evaluating potential investment projects is the ability to generate sufficient cash flows to service the financing provided and the normal operation of the project.

The conditions of this type of financing are formed in accordance with the specifics of each project.

For the initial consideration of the largeproject, customers should provide the following documentation:

• A detailed business plan containing a detailed financial model of the project.
• Official documentation on the legal, tax and financial status of the borrower.
• All necessary permits, licenses, contracts and other relevant documents related to the construction and operation of the facility.

To learn more about obtaining a business loan for large investment projects, contact us.