History
Banco do Nordeste was created by Federal Law 1649, of 07/19/1952, to operate in the so-called Drought Polygon (“Polígono das Secas”), a name given to the perimeter of the Brazilian territory periodically affected by prolonged drought periods. The company then assumed the role of assisting the populations of this area by providing them with credit.
In 70 years, the Bank’s operations have been expanded. It is currently present in about 2,000 municipalities, covering the entire area of the nine states of the Northeast Region (Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, and Bahia), as well as parts of Minas Gerais (including the Mucuri and Jequitinhonha Valleys) and the north of Espírito Santo. It maintains a leadership position in the investment of long-term resources and rural credit in its area of operation.
BNB is guided by the mission to act as the development bank of the Northeast. Its purpose includes being recognized for its ability to promote the well-being of families and the competitiveness of companies in the Region.
Banco do Nordeste do Brasil S.A. is a multiple financial institution, organized as a publicly-held government-owned company, where more than 90% of its capital is controlled by the Federal Government. Since its creation, it has been headquartered in the city of Fortaleza, in the State of Ceará.
The Bank’s clients include economic agents, institutional entities, and individuals. Economic agents comprise companies (micro-, small-, medium-, and large-sized companies), associations, and cooperatives. Institutional agents include governmental (federal, state, and municipal) and non-governmental entities. Individuals include rural producers (family farmers and mini-, small-, medium-, and large-sized producers) and informal entrepreneurs.
Recognized as the largest institution in Latin America focused on regional development, the company operates as the implementing agency for public policies, especially with the operation of the Constitutional Fund for the Financing of the Northeast (FNE).
FNE is the main source of funds used by Banco do Nordeste since the creation of federal constitutional funds in 1989. Its application aims to reduce poverty and inter- and intra-regional inequalities through the financing of productive sectors, in line with the regional development plan, an instrument jointly prepared by federal and state bodies.
For this purpose, at least half of the total FNE funds annually invested by BNB in the Region are aimed at the Semi-Arid region. Mini-, micro-, and small-sized entrepreneurs are preferred clients, and credit is combined with technical assistance.
In its strategy to support small entrepreneurs, in 1998 BNB created Crediamigo, the productive and oriented microcredit urban program, which is currently the largest of its kind in South America. By the end of 2016, the program reached the milestone of 2 million active clients. In 2005, oriented microcredit reached rural areas with the creation of the Agroamigo program, which already surpasses the mark of 1 million clients.
In addition to federal funds, the Bank has access to other financing sources in the domestic and international markets, through partnerships and alliances with national and international institutions, including multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
BNB also attracts investments, supports the conducting of studies and research with non-reimbursable funds, and structures development through high-impact projects. More than a financial intermediary, the company aims to provide integrated assistance to those who decide to invest in their area of operation, providing a knowledge base about the Northeast, and pointing out the best investment opportunities in the Region.
For this purpose, since 1954, the Bank has maintained the Northeast Technical Economic Studies Office (Etene), which is responsible for the preparation and dissemination of technical and scientific knowledge about the Northeast, as well as for planning, design, coordination, and evaluation of policies and programs, aiming at promoting sustainable development.
Banco do Nordeste recognizes the importance of innovation for the development of sustainable policies, strategies, and actions that directly impact the dynamism of the economy. With this vision, it created the Northeast Innovation Hub in 2016, a facility that has been providing support for entrepreneurs who develop inventive ideas to overcome the challenges of the Region.
*Detailed information is available on the corporate website.