SMEs with the possibility of financing under the Recovery and Sustainability Plan

The Ministry of Innovation and Growth announced the start of the application under the first procedure under the National Recovery and Sustainability Plan "Technological Modernization". The first funds under the Recovery Plan amount to BGN 260 million and are aimed at micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

Eligible sectors

The priority economic sectors eligible under the procedure are: C (Manufacturing industry), E (Water supply; Sewage services, waste management and recovery), J (Creation and dissemination of information and creative products; Telecommunications) and M (Professional activities and Research). This means that mainly manufacturing SMEs, whose main economic activity falls in these sectors, can be beneficiaries of the program. Such can be enterprises for the production of medicines, computers or optical materials, food, beverages, clothing, etc. 

Enterprises that deal with the collection and disposal of waste or the recycling of materials, film and television studios, radio, television and news agencies, as well as companies with architectural, engineering or scientific research and development activities are also eligible.

Amount of funds

The minimum amount of the grant under the program is BGN 35,000, while the maximum amount is determined based on the size and needs of the applicants. The aid ceiling is as follows: BGN 180,000 for micro, BGN 350,000 for small and BGN 700,000 for medium-sized enterprises. The funds can be used to buy, for example, machines with automated control, robots or digital process control systems. Co-funding is up to 50%.

Eligibility requirements and conditions

In order for companies to participate in the selection procedure, it is a mandatory condition that they are registered before December 31, 2019 and have a turnover in the last three years of a total value of over BGN 210,000 for micro, BGN 750,000 for small and BGN 3 million for medium-sized enterprises.

Deadlines

Enterprises have until September 21 inclusive to prepare and submit their project proposals. The application is made entirely electronically in the Electronic Management System June 2020, where a new functionality has already been created and a new module for PVU has been developed. You can see all the necessary documents for information, as well as the package of application documents HERE.

Ranking

The ranking of the candidates will be done according to the evaluation criteria and methodology published in the document package and after obtaining points.

By the end of the year, under the National Plan for Recovery and Sustainability, another procedure for supporting production investments is expected to be launched - for the construction of RES and energy storage facilities. Its budget will be BGN 200 million. In 2023, under the "Competitiveness and Innovations in Enterprises" Program, family companies and those in the creative industries and crafts will be supported with BGN 119 million.