site.btaInnovation Ministry to Open 3 More Procedures Under Recovery Plan by End-2022

By the end of the year, the Ministry of Innovation and Growth will open for applications three more procedures under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), with one already closed. From the beginning of 2023, the procedure under Competitiveness and Innovations in Enterprises Operational Programme 2021-2027 with a budget of BGN 3 billion will be opened, said Saturday Minister of Innovation and Growth, Alexander Pulev. He hosted an open mobile reception, together with members and experts of his cabinet and the regional governors of Vidin, Vratsa and Montana, Ognyan Mihailov, Georgi Mitov and Valeri Dimitrov,and met  with representatives of local businesses, as well as the 11 municipalities from Vidin region.

Minister Pulev made a report on the activities of his Ministry and noted that it worked honestly and transparently, raised the profile of European projects and met on the spot with businesses in the areas where there were problems in the absorption of funds.

Pulev stressed that the caretaker cabinet has accelerated the approval of European funds, and the Recovery and Resilience Plan is working and giving small and medium-sized enterprises a breath of fresh air.

 "Through the Ministry of Innovation and Growth, two procedures have already been opened under RRP. The first one, aimed at technological modernization, the application process was completed with more than 2,500 project proposals submitted for nearly BGN 1 billion", Pulev said and added that the second procedure, aimed at information and communication technologies (ICT) started at the beginning of this week, and already over 800 projects have been submitted. Four procedures for BGN 600 million will be open for businesses under the by the end of the year, added the Minister.

Pulev also pointed out that the new Competitiveness and Innovations in Enterprises OP 2021-2027 with a budget of BGN 3 billion was approved under the structural funds in a record time. It was submitted in the second week of August and was approved on October 3. Another programme for scientific research will be submitted to the EC soon.

Pulev was adamand, quoting acting Prime Minister Galab Donev, that "the caretaker cabinet is a cabinet of action and works at full speed."

The Deputy Director-General of the European Funds for Competitiveness Directorate at the Ministry of Innovation and Growth, Kalin Marinov, made a presentation of the opportunities for businesses to apply for projects under the RRP  and the European Union structural funds.

Minister Pulev's open mobile reception is part of his tour of the country to promote the opportunities for businesses under the RRP and the new Competitiveness and Innovations in Enterprises OP 2021-2027. So far, mobile receptions have been held in Pernik, Blagoevgrad, Plovdiv, Pazardzhik, Gabrovo, Silistra, Burgas, Stara Zagora, Smolyan and Varna, with the participation of 20 regional governors.