Bulgaria’s recovery and resilience – Supported projects: Nation-wide investment scheme

Disclaimer: This page exclusively serves information purposes and is not an exhaustive database of projects funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility. Notably, the map provides a snapshot of projects based on the current status of their implementation. It does not reflect the distribution of the projects funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility across the different areas within Bulgaria. The map will be regularly updated to include additional projects and information. The showcase of the projects in this page is without prejudice to any future assessment by the Commission in the context of the verification of the satisfactory fulfilment of milestones and targets pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

The measure references mentioned below are those contained in the Annex to the Council Implementing Decision approving the Bulgarian Recovery and Resilience Plan and allow for easy identification of the measures

For more info on the projects, please contact the Commission’s representation in Bulgaria (COMM-REP-SOF-ECONec [dot] europa [dot] eu (COMM-REP-SOF-ECON[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)) and/or European Semester Officers Marina Kirova (Marina [dot] Kirovaec [dot] europa [dot] eu (Marina[dot]Kirova[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)) and Martin Panov (Martin [dot] Panovec [dot] europa [dot] eu (Martin[dot]Panov[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)).

Provision of digital skills trainings and set-up of a platform for adult learning

(reference C1.I3 in the Bulgarian Recovery and Resilience Plan)

The objective of the investment, financed with close to EUR 165 million from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, is to improve the up- and re-skilling of the workforce, with a focus on digital skills. This will be achieved through the creation of a fully functioning digital platform, offering access to online courses and learning resources, to promote the uptake of distance learning for adults. In addition, a network of 760 digital clubs will be established throughout the country, providing access to the training platform free of charge. The investment will help some 500,000 unemployed and employed persons receive basic and/or intermediate level digital skills training and 100,000 unemployed and employed persons validate their basic and/or intermediate level of digital skills knowledge.

The relevant calls for applications will be launched in March 2023 and the implementation of the investment shall be completed by 30 June 2026.

More information can be found at the links below:

https://www.mlsp.government.bg/proekt-predostavyane-na-obucheniya-za-digitalni-umeniya-i-szdavane-na-platforma-za-obuchenie-na-vzrastni#

digital training Bulgaria — Copyright: Bulgarian government

Modernisation of long-term care

(reference C11.I1 in the Bulgarian Recovery and Resilience Plan)

This investment, funded with EUR 329 million from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, supports the implementation of the ‘Reform of social services’ and aims to reform the building stock of the facilities where social services are provided to persons with disabilities and older people.

It foresees:

the construction of 250 new facilities providing long-term care, 125 of which providing residential care and 125 providing day care, including counselling, therapy and rehabilitation activities for persons with disabilities;
the renovation of 82 existing facilities providing residential care for older people to meet quality standards, as per the Ordinance on the Quality of Social Services;
energy efficiency renovations in 840 existing facilities providing social services, achieving at least 30% of energy savings on average.

The implementation of the project has started, through the launch of relevant calls for applications, and shall be completed by 30 June 2026.

More information can be found at the links below:

https://www.mlsp.government.bg/proekt-modernizirane-na-dlgosrochnata-grizha

https://eumis2020.government.bg/bg/s/Procedure/Info/f2f3d65c-ad10-46a5-b438-d40e16ad8acf

https://eumis2020.government.bg/bg/s/Procedure/Info/c229f93a-f9ee-4141-b73e-5c80851da271

Bulgaria long terme care 1 — Copyright: Bulgarian government

Bulgaria long terme care 2 — Copyright: Bulgarian government

Development of the social economy

(reference C11.I3 in the Bulgarian Recovery and Resilience Plan)

The objective of this investment is to promote the social economy by providing assistance to the development of social and solidarity economy enterprises and organisations.

Funded with EUR 12.3 million from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the investment includes the construction of focus centres for the social and solidarity economy, which shall support social and solidarity economy enterprises and organisations. This will be achieved by providing counselling activities and technical assistance, including through assisting in the digitalisation of the business processes of those enterprises. The investment also foresees the setting up of a digital platform to promote the products and services of the social and solidarity economy enterprises and organisations.

Regional focus centers are being established in six cities – Plovdiv, Gabrovo, Lovech, Varna, Burgas and Blagoevgrad. The implementation of the investment shall be completed by 31 December 2025.

More information can be found at the links below:

https://www.mlsp.government.bg/proekt-razvitie-na-sotsialnata-ikonomika

https://www.mlsp.government.bg/nad-100-sotsialni-predpriyatiya-shche-mogat-da-poluchat-do-90-000-lv-po-proekt-razvitie-na-sotsialnata-ikonomika

Social economy — Copyright: Bulgarian government

Establishment of an air ambulance system

(reference C12.I4 in Bulgarian Recovery and Resilience Plan)

The objective of the investment, financed with EUR 50.8 million from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, is to set up an air ambulance system in the country. This includes the purchase of helicopters to provide emergency medical assistance, where immediate and rapid transportation is required, as well as the construction of operational sites with hangars for the helicopters. The air ambulance system will ensure the transportation of people affected by a situation of emergency, medical personnel as well as medical supplies.

The procurement procedure for the purchase of helicopters has been carried out. The implementation of the investment shall be completed by 30 June 2026.

More information can be found at the links below:

https://app.eop.bg/today/258841

https://www.mh.government.bg/bg/novini/aktualno/ministr-medzhidiev-predvizhda-se-dvata-helikoptera/

air ambulance — Copyright: Bulgarian government

Economic Transformation Programme

(reference C3.I2 in the Recovery and Resilience Plan)

The objective of the Economic Transformation Programme, financed with EUR 690 million from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, is to support the innovation and growth of Bulgarian businesses, in particular by fostering their green and digital transition. The programme shall support Bulgarian small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-caps through financial instruments and grants. The programme consists of three funds:

Fund 1 - Growth and Innovation (comprised of a guarantee instrument for growth, equity instruments for growth, modernisation, and equity instruments for innovation)

Fund 2 - Green Transition and Circular Economy (comprised of a grant scheme for investments in renewable electricity sources for own use with local storage facilities, a guarantee instrument for energy efficiency and renewable energy, a grant scheme for the support of businesses in the transition to a circular economy)

Fund 3 - Climate Neutrality and Digital Transformation (comprised of equity instruments for climate neutrality and digital transformation investments)

Three of the grant schemes have been launched – for technological modernisation, for communication technology solutions and cybersecurity and for investments in renewable electricity sources for own use with local storage facilities. The implementation of this investment is expected to be completed by 30 June 2026.

More information can be found at the links below:

Support for the renovation of building stock

(reference C4.I1 in the Bulgarian Recovery and Resilience Plan)

With an investment of EUR 924 million from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the Bulgarian plan supports a comprehensive national scheme for energy efficiency renovation of residential, public and commercial buildings. The scheme will result in the renovation of at least 3.6 million m2 in residential buildings, at least 1.4 million m2 in non-residential public buildings and of 866 non-residential buildings in manufacturing, trade and services, as well as the tourism sector. The project will help achieve at least 30% primary energy demand savings, limit energy waste, lower carbon emissions, while also ensuring positive social, health and environmental implications. The calls for application under the three strands of the scheme (residential, public and commercial buildings) have been launched. The implementation of the investment is expected to be completed by 30 June 2026.

More information can be found at the links below:

renovation of building stock Bulgaria — Copyright: Bulgarian government

Support for energy-efficient street lighting systems

(reference C4.I3 in the Bulgarian Recovery and Resilience Plan)

The objective of the measure is to increase energy efficiency, reduce energy costs for outdoor artificial lighting and improve living conditions for the population in the country through technological renewal and modernisation of outdoor artificial lighting systems. The measure provides EUR 76 million from the Recovery and Resilience Facility for the reconstruction and modernisation of municipal outdoor artificial lighting systems. The investment aims at achieving on average at least a 30% primary energy demand reduction. The first call for applications under the programme ended on 30 January 2023. The implementation is expected to be completed by 30 June 2025.

More information can be found on the website of the authority here

Programme to accelerate economic recovery and transformation through research and innovation and higher education institutions

(reference C2.I1 in the Bulgarian Recovery and Resilience Plan)

The €187 million investment from the Recovery and Resilience Facility foresees the financing of 38 projects by Bulgarian small and medium-sized enterprises which have been awarded the quality label "Seal of Excellence" under Horizon Europe, the financing of 10 projects by Bulgarian higher education institutions which were given a high "above the threshold" evaluation by the European Commission, but did not receive European budget funding ; financing for two European Research Area (ERA) Chairs, as well as funding for innovation programmes by nine research higher education institutions in Bulgaria. The procedure for the selection of the latter has been launched. The procedure for the selection of nine research higher education institutions in Bulgaria was completed and as a result, in December 2022, nine contracts were concluded for the implementation of investments under the direct grant award procedure BG-RRP-2.004 "Establishing of a network of research higher education institutions in Bulgaria", Component "Innovative Bulgaria", Investment 1 "Programme for accelerating economic recovery and transformation through science and innovation". The work on Strategic programs for research and innovation of each higher education institutions, to be supported within the procedure, started on January 1^st, 2023. The contracts have a performance period of 42 months, but no later than 30 June 2026. The implementation of this investment is expected to be completed by 30 June 2026.

More information can be found on the website of the Executive Agency here

Construction, development and optimisation of the digital TETRA system and radio relay network

(reference C7.I2 in the Bulgarian Recovery and Resilience Plan)

The TETRA system is used as a unified radiocommunication system to provide a communication environment for management, interaction and coordination in the Ministry of Interior as well as other government structures responsible for crisis prevention, disasters and national security issues.

With EUR 63.7 million of financing from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, this measure will help achieve national coverage of the TETRA system of the Ministry of Interior, increase the number of subscribers of the system from all state institutions and improve the capacity and quality of services. The envisaged radio coverage of the TETRA communication system shall reach 90% for portable TETRA radio terminals and 95% for mobile TETRA radio terminals on the territory of Bulgaria. Two contracts for the development of the TETRA system were signed in 2022, following open and competitive tenders. The implementation of this measure is expected to be completed by 31 December 2024.

More information can be found on the website of the authority here