UniCredit Bulbank and the National Guarantee Fund (NGF), part of the Bulgarian Development Bank (BDB) Group, signed a guarantee agreement to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the country. The agreement provides an opportunity to guarantee a portfolio of investment and operating loans in the amount of over BGN 200 million.

The guarantee scheme aims to facilitate companies' access to loan resources by significantly reducing collateral requirements. The guarantee from the NGF will cover up to 50% of the amount of the newly granted investment and operating loans, supplementing or replacing the collateral for them.

Financing will be available to both existing enterprises to expand their business, as well as to start-up companies and those with a short business history.

The loans will be granted in BGN and EUR and the deadline for their inclusion in the guaranteed portfolio is June 30, 2025.

With the help of the guarantee scheme, UniCredit Bulbank will support the development and implementation of projects co-financed under the operational programmes of the European Union. The agreement also encourages the construction of own renewable energy sources for business needs, thereby supporting the country's transition to a climate-neutral economy.

This is the 11th agreement in a row between UniCredit Bulbank and the National Guarantee Fund. The partnership of the two institutions dates back to 2010 and so far more than 2,600 Bulgarian companies have been supported to start or develop their business.