15.02.2023
BGN 2 BILLION FOR BUSINESS. HOW TO GET THEM
Bulgarian businesses will be able to apply for programs worth nearly BGN 2 billion in 2023. Most of them will be opened already at the beginning of the year. The most are the schemes under the National Plan for Recovery and Sustainability.
The majority of the resource intended for business is managed by the Department for Innovation and Growth.
The programs with which Bulgarian business can improve this year under the National Plan for Recovery and Sustainability are five, worth about BGN 950 million.
Up to BGN 1 million for RES
The most awaited is the construction of renewable energy systems - capacities up to 1 MW together with storage batteries. The budget is BGN 200 million, with the minimum application amount being BGN 100,000 and the maximum being BGN 1 million. Own co-financing will be between 35 and 50%, depending on factors such as the region of the investment, etc. The procedure is expected to start in February, and the deadline for submitting documents has been extended from two to three months. It is managed by the Ministry of Innovation and Growth.
"Green" program for business under the National Plan for Recovery and Sustainability is also "Circular Economy" with a budget of BGN 180 million. It is aimed at all enterprises from the processing industry sector for the acquisition of new equipment, specialized software or the provision of consulting services of an engineering and technical nature, preparation of an analysis of the resource efficiency and carbon intensity of the enterprise and possible solutions for their improvement. The Ministry of Innovation and Growth plans to launch it in March.
This year, under the third program of the National Plan for Recovery and Sustainability, innovative small and medium-sized companies that have received the "Seal of Excellence" quality mark from the competitions of the "Horizon 2020" and "Horizon Europe" programs of the European Innovation Council can apply. The budget is BGN 118.6 million. It is expected that the start will be in the first quarter.
The fourth procedure is related to the complete or partial construction of infrastructure in industrial zones and parks. Infrastructure can be technical (incoming and domestic), environmental (charging stations) and innovative (research). The launch is planned for the end of February. The budget is BGN 212.5 million, and one project can receive a maximum of BGN 40 million.
The fifth procedure is under the auspices of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works and aims to improve the energy efficiency of enterprises with class B buildings. The application will begin by the end of February. The budget amounts to BGN 235 million.
The new "Competitiveness"
Under the new Competitiveness Program, three programs worth over half a billion BGN will be launched within this year.
The first open procedure will be for innovations in small and medium-sized enterprises /SMEs/ in cooperation with a large enterprise. Projects must be aimed at developing product innovation or business process innovation aimed at producing goods and providing services. Activities to carry out research, measurements, tests, as well as to create and test prototypes and pilot lines related to the innovation under development will be supported. The budget is BGN 127 million and it should start in March.
The second similar measure is for innovation implementation in SMEs. The budget is BGN 293.4 million and it is expected to start in April.
The measure aimed at the modernization of family businesses is expected to be launched last. The procedure will target SMEs that are owned by more than one family member. Eligible expenses will be for the acquisition of machinery, equipment, equipment and software related to the production goals of the enterprises. It will be open for applications in the fall. The budget is BGN 117.5 million.
The new program
Under the new operational program "Scientific research, innovation and digitization for intelligent transformation", SMEs will be able to apply for a voucher scheme for more science in business with a budget of BGN 50 million. The forecast of the Ministry of Innovation and Growth is that it will start in the second half of the year.
The most important resource - people
This year, businesses will be able to apply for three procedures under the Human Resources Development Program from the new program period 2021-2027 for a total of BGN 230 million.
The first open scheme is likely to be the "Adapted Work Environment", which is estimated to target around 400 businesses and 91,000 workers. It aims to adapt employees to deal with extreme situations such as pandemics, to develop and implement systems to optimize work processes and increase organizational and team effectiveness, to implement tools, models and programs for managing stress in the workplace and for prevention and prevention of overheating, as well as to train employers in corporate social responsibility activities. BGN 100 million have been set aside for this measure and it is expected to start in March.
The second measure is aimed at youth employment. For this, employers must apply to the labor offices. The budget is BGN 80 million.
The latest scheme is expected to start in October and has a budget of BGN 50 million. The aim is to increase the skills of workers and employees.
