CaixaBank launches calls for applications to honour the best female entrepreneurs and self-employed women in Spain

Commitment to diversity

• The bank will recognise the best self-employment projects created by women with the Professional Self-Employed Woman Award, for which applications are open until 28 June; those interested can submit their candidacy to the following website www.caixabank.es/premioA
• Furthermore, the bank will reward businesswomen for their talent and professional excellence in terms of their track record, strategic vision, capacity for innovation and transformational leadership with the CaixaBank Businesswoman Award, for which the deadline for submitting candidacies is 5 May at www.caixabank.es/empresa/general/premio-empresaria
• Both awards, which have become a benchmark across the country and have been recognised nationwide, have a regional and a national phase

As part of its commitment to diversity, CaixaBank is holding calls for nominations for the best self-employed women and businesswomen in Spain. For the fourth year running, the bank is launching the Professional Self-Employed Woman Award, to recognise the professional excellence of independent female workers in Spain. Furthermore, the eighth edition of the CaixaBank Businesswoman Award is being held to recognise the talent and professional excellence of businesswomen with standout careers, strategic vision, and transformative innovation and leadership skills.

Both awards have become a benchmark in all the autonomous communities and are established nationwide due to their recognition of the best female talent in project development, both in its initial stages and in more consolidated phases.

Best self-employment projects created by women

Self-employed women from all sectors, with tax residence in Spain and at least two years of business activity, can apply for the fourth edition of the Professional Self-Employed Woman Award. Those interested in participating can do so until 28 June on the website www.caixabank.es/premioA by filling in a registration form.

The prizes have two phases. Firstly, there will be a regional phase, where the best projects from the different autonomous communities will receive awards, featuring 11 winners (one for each regional general division of CaixaBank). Those selected at regional level will compete for the national award.

The winner of the national award will receive a cash prize of 6,000 euros to be used for business training and personal development. She will also receive a certificate and will benefit from a publicity campaign through the communication channels of the Association of Self-Employed Workers (ATA).

Next, from among the winners of the regional phase, one woman will be selected to take a course offered by the Founderz digital business school.

To choose the best projects, the jury, made up of CaixaBank executives and independent experts, will assess the candidates' business excellence, both in terms of the success of their business activity and their professional career. The aspects that are considered include the level of development and success of the business, the innovation applied, the impact on job creation and environmental and sustainability aspects, as well as other factors.

Recognition of the trajectories of leading female executives

CaixaBank will also recognise the careers of leading businesswomen in Spain in the eighth edition of the CaixaBank Businesswoman Award. Those interested in taking part can submit their candidature until 5 May on the website www.caixabank.es/empresa/general/premio-empresaria.

In an initial regional phase, the jury for the awards, made up of a group of CaixaBank executives and directors, will select 12 regional winners. All of them will be invited to join the LinkedIn Businesswoman Award Community that the bank has created, which promotes relationships and networking between the winners of all the previous editions and gives them access to exclusive activities.

Later, in the national phase, the national winner will be chosen from among the 12 regional winners, who will be invited to attend an event of international prestige to connect with leading businesswomen on a global level and to boost their career.

To be eligible for these awards, candidates must be majority shareholders of their company, be actively involved in the day-to-day running of the business, and show a commitment to honesty, fairness, objectivity, and responsibility. In addition, the company must have been in business for at least three years, have a minimum turnover equivalent to USD 1.5 million, and be actively engaged in importing or exporting goods or services, or be prepared to start global business.

Candidates' merits will also be assessed in relation to the success of their business activity and career, such as the strength and degree of development and consolidation of the company's goods and services, their degree of innovation, job creation, financial soundness and ESG work of the business. The jury will also be looking at the candidates’ business excellence, leadership skills and participation in women's mentoring initiatives and networks of other female business owners or business leadership groups. 

The national winner will be able to attend a prestigious international event to connect with leading global businesswomen.

CaixaBank's commitment to diversity and business excellence

CaixaBank is aware of the importance of self-employed women and female business professionals for the strength of the economy and is launching this award as a show of support and acknowledgement for this key group.

These awards are part of the Wengage diversity programme, a CaixaBank-wide project developed by people from all areas of the bank based on meritocracy and promoting equal opportunities, striving to encourage and implement diversity in all its dimensions: gender, functional, generational, LGBTI, cultural and more.

CaixaBank also supports various awards and acknowledgements for academic excellence (WONNOW Awards), sports-related initiatives (sponsorship of the women's national basketball team) and the rural environment (AgroBank Chair: Women, business and rural environment, or a study of the gender gap in the agricultural sector by Closingap). 

A total of 43% of managerial positions at CaixaBank are held by women, and the Board of Directors is made up of 40% women.