 It was the first European financial institution in getting the Gold 'Q’ Basque Award in Management.In 2006 the union supported the United Nations Global Compact.It begun as Caja Rural Provincial de Vizcaya, in 1965, and was founded mainly by two co-operatives, the dairy co-op Beyena (that literally means "from cows" in basque) and Uteco, a farmers co-operative.