Bulgarian development bank

Bulgarian Development Bank (BDB) is a financial institution 99.9%-owned by the Bulgarian state. It was established in 1999 as the Encouragement Bank with main focus to support small and medium-sized enterprises. BDB is among the top four Bulgarian banks in terms of credit rating, rated "BBB" with a stable outlook by Fitch Ratings. It is the only Bulgarian bank to provide direct financing as well as financing via other credit institutions. BDB is the best-positioned local bank to raise funds from international partners. Its subsidiaries are the National Guarantee Fund, which issues guarantees for bank loans to the non-financial sector; the Micro Financing Institution Jobs, which provide financing to SMEs and start-ups; the Capital Investments Fund as well as the BDB Leasing and BDB Factoring.