Financial Education in Mendoza's Mining Cluster
The Municipality of Guaymallén and Balanz Capital Valores S.A.U. signed a framework collaboration agreement aimed at deepening financial education activities and providing tools related to capital markets to companies and entrepreneurs in the sector. The agreement was signed by Mayor Marcos Calvente and Balanz representatives at an event that brought together public authorities, members of the industrial sector, and participants of the Guaymallén Mining Cluster, within the context of the municipal strategy for productive coordination linked to mining and energy.
Agreement Architecture: Institutional Cooperation and Shared Content
The agreement establishes a cooperation framework between both institutions to develop financial education activities specifically designed for companies and entrepreneurs linked to the Mining Cluster. Content will be defined and updated by mutual agreement according to sector needs and capital market conditions, with no economic consideration involved. The agreement is valid for one year, with the possibility of renewal by mutual consent.
During the signing ceremony, Sebastián Negri, Director of Institutional Relations and Public Sector at Balanz, emphasized the need to move beyond contractual formalism.
"It is a joint commitment regarding an objective we identified, which first and foremost involves financial education, but especially to see if we can find common ground to promote financing, promote value chains, promote the integration of companies and machinery manufacturers in the mining sector"
, Negri stated, also emphasizing the intention to support companies in developing their productive matrix and generating employment.
Municipal Vision: Productive Transformation and Business Efficiency
Mayor Calvente contextualized the agreement within current economic challenges, noting that the productive sector needs to incorporate tools that improve efficiency and broaden growth opportunities. "We need to view businesses, operations, and institutions in general from a different perspective," said the municipal chief, who stressed the need to generate mechanisms that allow the department to undergo productive transformation.
Calvente placed particular emphasis on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), underscoring the importance of developing instruments that reduce costs, improve efficiency, and enable larger-scale business thinking. Specifically, he highlighted the need to prepare local firms for integration into value chains linked to mining and energy, sectors that demand quality standards, certifications, and financial capacity.
Financial Education Program: Three Training Modules
The agreement includes a Financial Education Program developed by Balanz Academy comprising three training sessions with specific content for each stage. The first module will focus on introduction to capital markets, covering topics such as financial instruments, investor profiles, investment criteria, and portfolio construction.
The second session will address securities financing for SMEs, including advantages of capital market financing over traditional bank credit. Content will include ECheq, promissory notes, electronic credit invoices, securities promissory notes, and the role of Mutual Guarantee Societies (SGR) as alternative financing instruments.
The third module will focus on investment alternatives for SMEs, covering treasury management, mutual investment funds, short-term instruments, financial trusts, and investment accounts for companies. Sessions may be conducted in-person, virtual, or hybrid format as agreed by the parties. Balanz will provide content, materials, and specialists, while the Municipality will be responsible for outreach and will facilitate physical spaces when needed.
Sectoral Context: Financial Education as a Productive Integration Tool
For Guaymallén, this initiative joins institutional coordination actions linked to the Mining and Energy Cluster, with the goal of supporting the preparation of local companies for integration into a productive matrix linked to mining and energy. These sectors demand high quality standards, certifications, operational efficiency, and financial capacity to operate within complex and globalized value chains.
Financial education emerges as a strategic tool for companies to discover new financing alternatives beyond traditional bank credit, manage their resources more efficiently, and expand their participation opportunities in mining and energy value chains. This public-private coordination approach reflects a municipal strategy for competitive positioning in high-value sectors.