At the invitation of the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB), the Fund of Funds took part in the 15th National Meeting of Municipal Experts on Programmes and Projects, held in Borovets from 8 to 10 December 2025.
This year’s event brought together more than 180 participants, including deputy mayors and experts from municipalities and central government institutions, who discussed current issues and exchanged experience and good practices related to the financing and implementation of municipal projects under European and national programmes.
During the first plenary session on 8 December, Iliana Ivanova, Deputy Head of the Debt Financial Instruments Department at the Fund of Funds, presented the current framework and opportunities offered by the financial instruments for urban and regional development under the Programme “Development of the Regions” 2021–2027 and the Programme “Competitiveness and Innovation in Enterprises” 2021–2027, co-financed by the European Union.
The Fund of Funds’ partners, FLAG Fund EAD and Regional Urban Development Fund EAD, also presented the opportunities for debt financing through financial instruments implemented with resources from the Fund of Funds and additional attracted funds.
Support provided by the urban development funds includes loans, guarantees and grant support within a single operation. Eligible projects include investments aimed at promoting and developing economic activity, improving energy efficiency, sustainable mobility, the urban environment, education, healthcare, culture, sport and tourism.
The financial instruments under the Programme “Development of the Regions” 2021–2027 and the Programme “Competitiveness and Innovation in Enterprises” 2021–2027 offer significant opportunities for municipalities, enterprises and institutions planning sustainable investments for the modernisation of Bulgarian cities, the stimulation of the business environment and the improvement of living conditions. The combination of loan products and grant support, the broad sectoral scope and the territorial focus make these instruments a powerful mechanism for sustainable urban and regional development.
The launch of the new urban development funds is expected in 2026. In the meantime, recycled resources from the previous programming period are available for investments in urban development and will be provided to final recipients until 31 December 2031 through the two partners of the Fund of Funds – the Fund for Sustainable Cities (www.citiesfund.bg/en/) and the Regional Urban Development Fund (www.jessicafund.bg/en/)
