How Bulgaria ranks within EU countries
Total investment
March 2022
- Total financing under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) in Bulgaria amounts to €773 million and is set to trigger €4.7 billion in additional investments
Infrastructure and innovation projects
- 9 approved projects financed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) with EFSI backing
- approximately €364 million in total financing
- set to trigger €1.1 billion in total investment
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
- 20 approved agreements with intermediary banks financed by European Investment Fund (EIF) with EFSI backing
- €406 million in total financing
- set to trigger approximately €3.6 billion in investments with some 21,354 SMEs and mid-cap companies expected to benefit from improved access to finance
Examples projects supported by the Investment Plan in Bulgaria
Digital transformation services: Software Group
An €18 million loan is supporting Bulgarian tech company Software Group’s global expansion plans. Software Group helps financial service providers digitise their business. The company manages its clients’ digital transformation process, helping them become more efficient operationally. Software Group is using the financing boost to invest in innovation and increase its workforce.
Grain port terminal: Agria Group
With help from the EU, the Agria Group is building a new facility near the Port of Varna in the area of Beloslav in Bulgaria. A loan of €14 million is financing the construction of a building which will be used for the storage, handling and export of grain, vegetable oils and sunflower meals. The new facility will have a total annual throughput of 1 million tonnes of grain.
Fashion start-up: Kloshar bags
Kloshar Bags is a start-up fashion brand in Sofia, Bulgaria. After the company was founded the brand quickly gained interest via social media, and soon they wanted to expand, increasing the need for investment in materials and logistics. They received a loan from a microfinance institution, which is guaranteed by the European Investment Fund and the Juncker Plan. The loan allowed Kloshar Bags to launch their own online shop and expand the team, and they now export their bags to clients across the world, from the United States to South Korea.
Karad is a small business which imports and sells agricultural machinery in Bulgaria. When they decided to expand, Karad secured a Juncker Plan-backed loan from Cibank in order to improve the company's facilities and import more machinery. Karad employs 11 staff.
Full list of EFSI-backed projects approved by the EIB
Full list of EFSI-backed agreements with financial intermediaries signed by the EIF