TheEuropean Investment Bank (EIB) Groupboosted its financing in Bulgaria by72% in 2025, reaching?646 million, supporting businesses, jobs, and innovation across the country. This increase from?375 million in 2024accelerates Bulgaria's economic, environmental, and social convergence with the European Union.
The funding is expected tomobilise around ?2.2 billion in investments, equivalent to 1.9% of Bulgaria's GDP. The EIB Group also includes theEuropean Investment Fund (EIF), which focuses on financing forsmall and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Approximately a third of the financing went to projects promotingclimate action and environmental sustainability, while the majority supported initiatives advancing economic and social alignment with the EU.
In addition, the EIB Group provided?30 million in 2025 under the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility, part of the post-Covid economic recovery programme.
Last year, the EIB supported around , safeguarding approximately118,400 jobsby unlocking new liquidity. These operations help companies that contribute significantly to jobs, innovation, and economic growth overcome financing obstacles.
TheEIF and the Bulgarian governmentalso extended the?350 million JEREMIE initiativeuntil 2035. This programme will provide?160 million in 2026to supportdeep-tech, technology transfer, and AI projects, helping Bulgarian innovators scale regionally and across the EU.
Since its launch, JEREMIE has supported over10,000 SMEsand deployed more than?1.6 billion in loans and equity, multiplying public resources nearly fivefold.
The EIB also backedmanufacturing in Bulgariawith a?200 million loan to Aurubis AG, a Germany-based non-ferrous metals producer with a plant inPirdop. Part of the funding will expand thecopper refining capacity, increasing cathode production by50%to meet rising European demand. The project will support exports, create jobs, and strengthen local economic development.
To support Bulgaria'sclean energy transition, EIB advisory teams are working with theMinistry of Energyon decarbonising theMaritsa East energy complex, Europe's largest open-pit lignite site. The EIB is helping prioritise projects, improve ministry capacity, and secure additional EU funding.
The EIB also advised onmunicipality-led energy communities, enabling citizens and organisations to produce, consume, store, and sell renewable energy. A digital tool developed by the EIB helps municipalities assess thetechnical and financial feasibilityof these initiatives.
Finally, in Burgas, the EIB assisted in developing plans for astate-of-the-art scientific campus, attracting national and international researchers and students. The bank is helping design financing options and governance structures for the campus, scheduled to open in2027.
