Business customers

SDG: 
Goal 9 - Industry, innovation and infractructure

Supporting business customers in the development of their companies by offering precisely tailored products and services is our strategic objective and the top priority of the Business and Corporate Banking Division and the Corporate and Investment Banking Division. In addition, non-banking companies from our Group assist in serving business customers.

  • GRI:
  • 102-2 Activities, brands, products and/or services.
    Activities, brands, products and/or services.
  • 103-1 Explanation of the material topics and their boundaries
    Explanation of the material topics and their boundaries
  • 103-2 Management approach to topics identified as material
    Management approach to topics identified as material
  • 103-3 Evaluation of the management approach to topics identified as material
    Evaluation of the management approach to topics identified as material
  • Custom indicator Information about key products, including new products launched during the reporting period
    Information about key products, including new products launched during the reporting period
  • ESG: S – Society Our approach to Social Responsibility
    Our approach to Social Responsibility
  • PRB 1 Alignment We will align our business strategy to be consistent with and contribute to individuals’ needs and society’s goals, as expressed in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Climate Agreement and relevant national and regional frameworks. We will focus our efforts where we have the most significant impact.
    We will align our business strategy to be consistent with and contribute to individuals’ needs and society’s goals, as expressed in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Climate Agreement and relevant national and regional frameworks. We will focus our efforts where we have the most significant impact.
  • PRB 3 Clients and Customers We will work responsibly with our clients and our customers to encourage sustainable practices and enable economic activities that create shared prosperity for current and future generations.
    We will work responsibly with our clients and our customers to encourage sustainable practices and enable economic activities that create shared prosperity for current and future generations.

Business and Corporate Banking Division

We offer products and services that enable entrepreneurs to effectively operate and develop their business in the domestic and international markets. Our offer is addressed to companies and enterprises with a turnover between PLN 8m and PLN 1.2bn, as well as local governments and the public sector.

Companies and enterprises are serviced through 3 Regions and 19 Business and Corporate Banking Centres. The Business and Corporate Banking Centres have 25 Business and Corporate Banking Offices located across the country.

  • 3

    regions

  • 19

    Busines and Corporate Banking Centres

  • 25

    Business and Corporate Banking Offices

Key products and services:

  • loans,
  • deposits,
  • transaction banking,
  • treasury products,
  • leasing products,
  • factoring products,
  • capital market products,
  • customised solutions.

Detailed information about the offer of the Business and Corporate Banking Division is available here

The Business and Corporate Banking Division provides services to 24,800* entities from various industries, supporting them comprehensively in the process of building and developing their business.*As at 31 December 2020.

Objectives

In 2020, we aim to effectively help customers grow by better understanding their needs and specific business characteristics and offering precisely tailored products and services.

We have prioritised development in 2020:

  • offers for selected industries,
  • digitisation of processes and products for the corporate segment,
  • effectiveness of risk management processes,
  • electronic banking channels, as well as CRM and Big Data tools.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown of the economy necessitated the transition to remote channels of operation with the full range of offerings and the highest quality of service. In H2 2020, the priorities of the Corporate Business Banking Division were as follows:

  • contact policy and NPS measurement

  • credit activity (new production and reducing attrition)

  • Cross Sell (Productivity & Linkage).

Selected initiatives and actions in 2020

Digitisation

  • We have enabled customers to enter into leasing contracts remotely (including the use of an electronic signature).
  • In the iBiznes24 electronic banking channels (internet, mobile, Connect), we have introduced many changes to meet customer’s current needs.
    • In iBiznes24 internet we have introduced, among other things, automatic verification of the recipient’s account in the VAT taxpayer register, an e-application to apply for subsidies from the Polish Development Fund and the e-FX module available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
    • We also tested the new version of the iBiznes24 system: we conducted a pilot with the participation of customers and began the process of migrating customers to the new iBiznes24 (211 companies with 674 individual users are using the new system now).
    • In Biznes24 mobile we have introduced solutions applied in iBiznes internet. In addition, we have made it possible to log into the mobile application using a mobile signature as an authentication tool and to confirm 3ds card payments on the internet using a mobile signature.
  • We have implemented a full-fledged CRM based on Salesforce – the system offers an even faster service of business customers. More information is available here.

Support during the pandemic

  • We launched preferential guarantee conditions for loans.
  • We facilitated the renewal of loans (annexing nearly 1,300 agreements for over 900 customers)
  • We launched the application process and the operation of the PFR 1.0 Anti-Crisis Shield programme for customers (53,000 subsidies granted).

Our initiatives to support business customers during the pandemic are described here

In addition, in 2020, as in previous years, we undertook initiatives and provided products to support business and corporate clients in their development through, among others, trade finance, cross-segment activities or supporting the foreign expansion of Polish companies. We have described these activities in detail here

Corporate and Investment Banking Division

This division provides services to the largest corporate and institutional clients,

to whom we offer a full range of services and provide specialised financial products. Within global banking, we also provide services to corporations served by the international structures of the Santander Group.

Our clients include 250 of the largest companies/business groups  in Poland representing all sectors of the economy.

(As at 31 December, 2020).

Product offer

We offer access to customised solutions and the opportunity to take advantage of products available through Group companies, such as those related to international trade support or working capital.

In pursuit of our responsible banking strategy, we offer our clients solutions based on Sustainable Development Goals or ESG indicators. We actively participate in the transformation of the Polish energy system to a low-carbon one by, among other things, financing renewable energy projects.

We are constantly responding to clients’ needs for financing related to business expansion or new projects. We also make sure to maintain our leading position in financial advisory in Poland, particularly in the capital market.

Key products and services:

  • transactional services,
  • liquidity management,
  • current and medium/long-term financing,
  • project finance,
  • working capital optimisation,
  • guarantees and letters of credit,
  • handling mergers and acquisitions,
  • issue of shares and bonds,
  • treasury products,
  • ESG finance.

Key initiatives for 2020

Green offer

  • Green transport

In 2020 we financed the production of zero-emission public transport vehicles worth in excess of PLN 150m (for Solaris).

  • Financing of RES projects under the Project Finance formula

We have participated in financing wind turbine and photovoltaic projects for leading developers and investors, including being a partner to the largest portfolio of photovoltaic projects financing in Poland to date.

  • Sustainability-linked bond issue

We acted as the coordinator, arranger and dealer of the first sustainability-linked bond issue for Tauron Polska Energia worth PLN 1 billion. Funds from the issue will support the transformation of the TAURON Group and will be used to finance the costs of construction/acquisition of projects based on renewable energy sources, distribution and general corporate activities of the Issuer’s Group related to RES or zero-emission energy transformation. The funds will also be used to refinance the Issuer Group’s debt incurred to finance the above projects.

The funds obtained from the bonds shall not be used for financing any new or existing coal units or financing the activities of Tauron Wydobycie S.A. and Tauron Wytwarzanie S.A. (for undertakings other than those indicated above).

In addition, the TAURON Group together with the emission coordinator set the following indicators: CO2 emission reduction indicator (annual average 2%) and RES capacity increase indicator (annual average 8%). If the targets are not met, the base margin will be increased in line with the provisions of the emission conditions. Each year an independent auditor will examine and validate the correctness of the calculations of the sustainability indicators.

  • Green IRS

A transaction hedging the risk of interest rate volatility in which the client swaps payments based on a floating index (e.g. WIBOR) for a fixed rate of a specific amount further modified to take into account sustainability-linked principles.

In 2020, together with Tauron Polska Energia, we conducted the first green IRS transaction in Poland. As part of it, lowering CO2 emissions and increasing the production of energy from renewable sources will result in tangible financial benefits for Tauron in the form of a reduction in the fixed interest rate paid.

  • Green bond issue

We acted as co-arranger of Cyfrowy Polsat S.A.’s first green bond issue, the first  in Poland among non-financial entities, with a total value of PLN 1bn and a 7-year maturity. The funds raised from the issue were used to refinance the costs incurred by the issuer and the issuer’s subsidiaries between 2017 and 2019 related to energy efficiency improvements. Additionally, the costs of reducing the use of electronic components and, as a result, of the issuer’s and its subsidiaries’ carbon footprint were refinanced in accordance with the Green Bond Framework.

  • ESG-linked bond issue

We participated as a dealer in a bond issue for PKN Orlen S.A. This is the first bond issue both on the Polish market and in Central Europe where the interest margin was linked to ESG rating by MSCI. Verification of the ESG-linked target will be carried out semi-annually before the date of determination of the interest rate.

More information about sustainable green finance can be found here

Digitisation

We have proceeded with the digitisation and optimisation of processes and services:

  • We have extended Kantor Santander’s hours of operations to 24/7.
  • We implemented a new architecture and design of Kantor Santander (pilot phase). We added new currency pairs for corporate clients.
  • We continued to work on the digitisation of our derivative product offering.
  • We have built a uniform tool for transactional banking products, available to all Group customers.

Plans for the coming years

We intend to develop an offer to support clients in green projects, whether through project finance, ESC finance, green bonds or interest rate hedging transactions with an ESG component.