Pelion E-commerce Expansion

Overview
Project Summary Document
Environmental and Social Documentation
Procurement
Complaints

Overview

Provision of a long term senior loan of up to EUR 85 million in favour of Korporacja Inwestycyjna Polskiej Farmacji Sp. z o.o. ("KIPF", "Company"), a limited liability company domiciled in Poland and DEETA B.V., a private limited liability company domiciled in the Netherlands (as joint co-borrowers) for use in Pelion S.A. ("Pelion") and its subsidiaries, mainly CEPD N.V., to finance the capex programme focused on digital expansion and e-commerce in Poland and Lithuania, and acquisitions of pharmacies. Out of EUR 85 million loan, EUR 60 million will be committed and EUR 25million uncommitted. The Loan is part of a larger financing package with mBank Poland, which will provide EUR 75 million in parallel. Total financing from EBRD and mBank Poland amounts to EUR 160 million.

Project ID 52667

Status Repaying

Location

Regional

Business Sector

Manufacturing and Services

Notice Type

Private

Project timeline

Exploratory
Passed Concept Review
Passed Structure Review
Passed Final Review
Board Approved
Signed
Implementing
Completed

Company Contact Information

Management Office
biuro_zarzadu@kipf.pl
+48 42 200 75 10
pelion.eu
ul. Zbaszynska 3, 91-342 Lodz

Project ID 52667

Status Repaying

Location

Regional

Business Sector

Manufacturing and Services

Notice Type

Private

Environmental Category

Approval Date

15 Dec 2021

Disclosure date

10 Jan 2022

As permitted by paragraph 2.6 of Section III of the Access to Information Policy, disclosure of this PSD was deferred in accordance with paragraph 1.4.4 of the Directive on Access to Information.

Project description

Project objectives

KIPF is a holding company of Pelion Group, the leading pharmaceutical distributor and pharmacy retailer in Poland. The proposed facility will support the investment programme carried out by Pelion Group in Poland and Lithuania. The proceeds from the EBRD loan will be allocated towards capex programme focused on expansion in the area of logistics (including BREEAM Very Good certified warehouses), e-commerce in Poland and Lithuania, and expansion via M&As. The Project will enable Pelion Group to strengthen its market position, enhance its logistics and network coverage, and benefit from economies of scale.

Transition impact

ETI Score:67

transition impact of the proposed project will be derived from the expansion of e-commerce services, enabling Pelion to reach online sales levels that are comparable to those achieved in the most advanced markets. In addition, the Company will launch a new learning programme for young people to develop digital skills critical for the Company's e-commerce expansion.

Client information

KORPORACJA INWESTYCYJNA POLSKIEJ FARMACJI SP ZOO

KIPF sp. z o.o., a limited liability company domiciled in Poland, a holding company of Pelion Group.

DEETA B.V., a private limited liability company domiciled in the Netherlands.

The co-borrowers, through their shareholdings, are part of Pelion Group of companies, the leading pharmaceutical distributor and pharmacy retailer in Poland, with operating subsidiaries in Poland, Lithuania and Sweden

EBRD Finance Summary

EUR 85,000,000.00

A senior term loan is divided into a committed tranche of EUR 60 million and an uncommitted tranche of EUR 25 million.

Total project cost

EUR 237,000,000.00

The total amount of syndicated financing arranged amounts EUR 160 million. The total Project cost, including Pelion's contribution, amounts EUR 237 million.

Additionality

The EBRD loan helps to fill a funding gap and is required to structure the project. Furthermore, the project supports higher standards both in relation to promoting gender inclusive practices and by supporting the implementation of energy efficiency measures in line with BREEAM 'Very Good' standards for the new warehouses

Environmental & Social Summary

Categorised B (2019 ESP). Environmental and social risks related to operation of a pharmaceutical distribution company and capex related to construction of new warehouses and improvements to existing facilities are site specific and can be managed by appropriate mitigation measures. The Bank is familiar with the Company E&S capacity and management systems through two previous transactions (DTM 50384 and 52033). The ESAP agreed in the 2019 has been implemented in a timely manner and annual reporting has been comprehensive. The ESDD was carried out by ESD through review of the latest AESR and additional submissions from the company covering the investment plan, HR policies and sustainability reporting.

The Company has established an Environmental Policy and responsibilities for environmental management at the group level and in the daughter companies. The group's Environmental Policy and guidelines are based on the EBRD PRs, ISO 14001, OECD guidelines on environmental issues and NSF International best practices. The majority of daughter companies have implemented the ISO 9001 quality management system and comply with the strict requirements of the Good Distribution Practices (GDP) for Pharmaceutical Products governed and regularly controlled (through site audits) by the Regional and Main Pharmaceutical Directorate in Poland for compliance with national Pharmaceutical Law and EU Directive on falsified medicinal products. The ESDD concluded that waste management, waste water discharges and air emissions at specific sites are in compliance with national and EU legislation. As result of ESAP requirements, the Company has strengthen the role of the group environmental management team and the channels for reporting on E&S performance from the daughter companies.

Facilities to be constructed under the current investment programme will be built on land plots already owned by the Company and will not require an EIA process. The Company is proactively introducing energy efficiency measures in its new and renovated assets through introduction of heat pumps with heat recovery, use of materials with high insulation coefficient, LED and automatic lighting and other provisions. Land acquisition, planning, design and contractor management for new sites and renovations are closely supervised by a dedicated construction project team. The Company has strengthened contractors monitoring as result of previous transaction with the Bank.

Company has dedicated H&S manager at Group level, regularly advising operational managers at daughter companies and with the dedicated construction management team. External H&S consultants support the company in occupational H&S training, risks assessments and occupational monitoring. Under the ESAP agreed in 2019 the Company finalised development and training on corporate H&S Handbook outlining company standards and good practices.

The Company employs over 10 000 employees (circa 80% female). HR management is organised in each individual daughter company with overarching support from the Group level. In cooperation with EBRD the Company has addressed its risks related to use of foreign workers employed under agency agreements, developed unified contractual standards and policies in regards to agency workers and implemented systems of audits of the work agencies. The ESDD has reviewed the corporate Ethics policy against Banks GBVH and other labour requirements and the grievance mechanism and found it aligned with PR2 requirements.

The ESAP agreed in 2019 has been implemented and there is no need for revision. The Company has committed to following the developments of the legal requirements in regards to Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and will be prepared to published relevant sustainability reports when legislation becomes binding. The Bank will continue to monitor the Company's E&S performance through review of annual reports and site visits as required.

Technical Cooperation and Grant Financing

None.

Company Contact Information

Management Office
biuro_zarzadu@kipf.pl
+48 42 200 75 10
pelion.eu
ul. Zbaszynska 3, 91-342 Lodz

PSD last updated

10 Jan 2022

Understanding transition

Further information regarding the EBRD’s approach to measuring transition impact is available here.

Business opportunities

For business opportunities or procurement, contact the client company.

For business opportunities with the EBRD (not related to procurement) contact:

Tel: +44 20 7338 7168
Email: projectenquiries@ebrd.com

For state-sector projects, visit EBRD Procurement:

Tel: +44 20 7338 6794
Email: procurement@ebrd.com

General enquiries

Specific enquiries can be made using the EBRD Enquiries form.

Environmental and Social Policy (ESP)

The ESP and its associated Environmental and Social Requirements (ESRs) set out the ways in which the EBRD implements its commitment to promoting “environmentally sound and sustainable development”. The ESP and the ESRs include specific provisions for clients to comply with the applicable requirements of national laws on public information and consultation, and to establish a grievance mechanism to receive and facilitate resolution of stakeholders’ concerns and grievances, in particular, about the environmental and social (E&S) performance of the client and the project. Proportionate to the nature and scale of a project’s environmental and social risks and impacts, the EBRD also requires its clients to disclose information, as appropriate, about the risks and impacts of projects or to undertake meaningful consultation with stakeholders and consider and respond to their feedback.

More information on the EBRD’s practices in this regard is set out in the ESP.

Integrity and compliance

The EBRD's Office of the Chief Compliance Officer (OCCO) promotes good governance and ensures that the highest standards of integrity are applied to all of the Bank's activities in accordance with international best practice. Integrity due diligence is conducted on all Bank clients to ensure that projects do not present unacceptable integrity or reputational risks to the Bank. The EBRD believes that identifying and resolving issues in the project assessment and approval stages is the most effective means of ensuring the integrity of Bank transactions. OCCO plays a key role in these protective efforts andhelps to monitor integrity risks in projects post-investment.

OCCO is further responsible for investigating allegations of fraud, corruption and misconduct in EBRD-financed projects. Anyone, either within or outside the Bank, who suspects fraud or corruption should submit a written report to the Chief Compliance Officer by email to compliance@ebrd.com. OCCO will follow-up all matters reported. It will review all matters reported. Reports can be made in any language of the Bank or of the Bank's countries of operation. The information provided must be made in good faith.

Access to Information Policy (AIP)

The AIP, which entered into force on 1 January 2025, sets out how the EBRD discloses information and consults with its stakeholders to promote better awareness and understanding of its strategies, policies and operations. Please visit the Access to Information Policy page to find out what information is available from the EBRD website.

Specific requests for information can be made using the EBRD enquiries form.

Independent Project Accountability Mechanism (IPAM)

If efforts to address environmental, social or public disclosure concerns with the Client or the Bank are unsuccessful (for example, through the client’s project-level grievance mechanism or through direct engagement with Bank management), individuals and organisations may seek to address their concerns through the EBRD’s Independent Project Accountability Mechanism (IPAM).

IPAM independently reviews project issues that are believed to have caused (or to be likely to cause) harm. The purpose of the mechanism is: to support dialogue between project stakeholders to resolve environmental, social and public disclosure issues; to determine whether the Bank has complied with its Environmental and Social Policy or the project-specific provisions of its Access to Information Policy; and where applicable, to address any existing non-compliance with these policies, while preventing future non-compliance by the Bank.

Please visit the Independent Project Accountability Mechanism webpage to find out more about IPAM and its mandate and how to submit a Request for review. Alternatively, contact IPAM by email at ipam@ebrd.com for guidance and more information on IPAM and how to submit a request.

Environmental and Social Documentation is not available for this project.

Selected procurement notices related to this project may be shown below. Further procurement opportunities related to this and other projects, if available, maybe be viewed in the EBRD Procurement Portal.

The EBRD's Environmental and Social Policy (ESP), Access to Information policy (AIP) and Project Accountability Policy (PAP) enable sound and sustainable development in its projects. The Independent Project Accountability Mechanism (IPAM) deals with complaints about environmental, social and disclosure matters related to the Bank’s investments.

No complaints about this project have been made so far.

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Pelion E-commerce Expansion

Overview

Project timeline

Company Contact Information

Project description

Project objectives

Transition impact

Client information

EBRD Finance Summary

Total project cost

Additionality

Environmental & Social Summary

Technical Cooperation and Grant Financing

Company Contact Information

PSD last updated

Understanding transition

Business opportunities

General enquiries

Environmental and Social Policy (ESP)

Integrity and compliance

Access to Information Policy (AIP)

Independent Project Accountability Mechanism (IPAM)