BRD Introduces Calea BRD to Empower Women Founders in Romania

Banca Română pentru Dezvoltare (BRD) has introduced ‘Calea BRD,’ an integrated ecosystem in Romania. The initiative combines financing opportunities with mentorship, business tools, expertise, and networking support tailored for women-led ventures. BRD is one of Romania’s largest commercial banks.

“CalEA BRD” integrates financial solutions with personal and professional development resources tailored for women entrepreneurs as a unified platform for inclusivity.

Romania’s women-led business ecosystem presents substantial untapped economic opportunity, particularly within the small enterprise sector.

Insights from analyse by BRD and International Finance Corporation (IFC) reveal an estimated 30,000 businesses suitable for gender-focused financing, underscoring the growing need for capital access and tailored advisory services to enable scale and sustainability.

Key Highlights:

• “CalEA BRD” launched by BRD to support women-entrepreneurs with finance, mentorship, and business tools
• BRD and IFC identify nearly 30,000 Romanian businesses eligible for gender-focused financing support
• The initiative combines banking solutions with expert guidance, learning programs, and advisory support

The strong presence of nation’s women-led enterprises highlights both the growing entrepreneurial momentum among women and the significant opportunity to drive broader economic expansion. This expansion brings better access to capital expertise, and targeted support ecosystems.

As market solutions for women entrepreneurs remain fragmented, the framework can play a pivotal role building a cohesive gender inclusive solution fostering a more resilient economy.

Mădălina Teodorescu, Deputy CEO, BRD Groupe Société Générale stated, “With ‘CalEA BRD,’ we started from the observation that women’s entrepreneurship means more than just access to financing. In this customer segment, we encounter a higher level of complexity, particularly regarding the need to balance professional and personal life.”

She added that, “Through the ecosystem we have built, we aim to become a long-term partner and create a framework that offers greater security for the development of women-led businesses,”

The programs’ robust non-financial offering is designed to address a critical entrepreneurial challenge: access to practical knowledge and real-world expertise.

The financial component delivers integrated banking and financing solutions for daily operations and strategic growth. Entrepreneurs will have access to business and personal account packages, savings products, digital services, and cash flow management tools through a single ecosystem.

The platform also provides credit solutions, guarantees, and financing programs structured to support both early-stage ventures and established businesses seeking to scale.

“CalEA BRD,” allows women entrepreneurs to leverage a wide range of learning resources and development initiatives powered by Startarium, one of Romania’s leading entrepreneurial education ecosystems. Startarium offers multiple development programs within the ecosystem.

The “Start Business Hub” supports new entrepreneurs with resources and guidance, while the “Business Learning Lab” offers expert-led practical learning sessions. “Business Advisory” further provides personalized consulting to help entrepreneurs refine strategies and drive growth.