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Add to Preferred SourcesThe European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting the expansion of FitSpo Nutrition OOD, a fast-growing Bulgarian producer of functional food products, through a risk-sharing agreement with UniCredit Bulbank, according to a press release from the EBRD. Under the deal, UniCredit Bulbank is providing €5.3 million in long-term financing, with the EBRD sharing risk on up to €2.7 million of that amount through its Risk Sharing Facility.
FitSpo produces protein bars, cookies, whey protein powders and vegan snacks sold in major Bulgarian retail chains and exported to multiple international markets. The financing will fund the procurement and installation of a fully automated production line, a high-efficiency packaging line and a new green production facility. Once complete, the investment is expected to double the company’s annual production capacity, helping it keep pace with rising demand at home and abroad.
The project will also receive a grant of up to €750,000 under the EBRD Green Innovation Programme, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme. The grant is designed to help the company overcome the financial barriers typically associated with advanced climate technologies. Projected environmental gains include annual energy savings of nearly 96,000 kWh, a reduction of more than 40 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, and less waste in both raw materials and packaging.
“Through its Risk Sharing Facility, the EBRD works with partner banks to expand access to finance and promote green and innovative investments,” the bank noted, highlighting how the instrument helps smaller, high-growth companies take on ambitious projects they might otherwise struggle to finance. The EBRD has been investing in Bulgaria since 1991 and, as of January 2026, has committed €5 billion across 318 projects in the country.
The FitSpo deal is a small but telling example of how European development finance is increasingly being deployed to help local businesses grow sustainably — combining private-sector competitiveness with the kind of green transition goals that sit at the heart of EU economic policy.