Delyana Ivanova: BDB supports municipalities for capital investments and energy efficiency

The Bulgarian Development Bank supports municipalities in the implementation of programs for capital investments and for improving the energy efficiency of residential buildings. This was stated by the Chairperson of the Supervisory Board of the Bulgarian Development Bank (BDB) Delyana Ivanova during the annual meeting of the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB).

Ivanova presented the latest information on the implementation of key programs to support municipalities. She emphasized that BDB is a reliable partner of the state and local authorities in the implementation of strategic policies and the management of targeted funds for investments.

The State Bank will act as the paying agent for the capital investment program based on an agreement with the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (MRDPW) to be signed soon. The actual payments to beneficiaries will then begin.

"The processing of advances under the Municipal Capital Program is a quick and straightforward procedure. We expect to disburse all advances under the program in November and December," said the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of BDB.

Regarding the Recovery and Sustainability Plan (RSP), Ivanova noted that the European Commission has selected BDB as a partner for the implementation of the energy efficiency program. The Bank will administer all qualified Stage 1 and Stage 2 projects for which no payments have been made, and the financing will be up to 100% as a grant.

The projects submitted through the EMIS will be automatically transferred from the MRDPW to the bank without the need for resubmission of documents. All procurement and contracts already concluded will be recognised as valid. The bank will carry out complete verification of the projects and the process is expected to be finished ahead of schedule - before the deadline of June 2026.

"With this arrangement, we have been able to preserve over €270 million of RSP funds that would otherwise have been lost. This will allow a significantly larger number of buildings to be renovated and enable more municipalities to benefit from the program," Ivanova said.

She added that the National Program for Energy Efficiency of Multi-Family Residential Buildings will actually start after the completion of the RSP contracts. 

"The Bulgarian Development Bank was established to support small and medium enterprises as well as the state and municipalities. Our role is to ensure predictability, transparency and financial stability in the implementation of significant public investments," said Delyana Ivanova.