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Of the BGN 1.2 billion resource for businesses in Bulgaria under the Ministry of Innovation and Growth for the first six months of 2023, BGN 700 million will also be available for application by large companies - with up to 499 employees, and not only for micro, small and medium enterprises.

This was stated by the Minister of Innovation and Growth Alexander Pulev

Alexander Pulev was born on February 5, 1981 in Plovdiv.

He has a master's degree in finance from the Oxford University at an event at the "24 Hours" on the procedures under the Recovery and Sustainability Plan and the EU Structural Funds, the MIR press center reported.

"There are places in Bulgaria that depend on one or two large enterprises for their livelihood.

Although most of the procedures under the Ministry of Innovation and Growth are aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises, we open the opportunity to apply for large ones as well," said Minister Pulev.

According to him, even larger enterprises, with up to 3,000 employees, can apply according to various procedures for a total resource of about BGN 500 million - procedures also available to small and medium-sized companies.

"In this way, we will reach 99.9% of employers in the country," he added. 

Pekanov assured: The projects from PVU, which are not related to energy, continue

Pulev pointed out that the interest of business in the procedures of the Recovery and Sustainability Plan is huge and is the result of the innovative approach that MIR has taken - the mobile reception of the minister and the team, which visited all the districts in the country and met with all the district governors , local business representatives and employer organizations.

According to him, upon entering the MIR's office, he found only 4 submitted projects under the first "Technological Modernization" procedure.

As a result of the nationwide tour, the measure ended with more than 2,500 project proposals submitted, 953 of which were announced on December 30, 2022, as the first to receive funding under the PVA, for a total of BGN 260 million.

"A few days ago, the public discussion on the procedure for "RES and batteries for local energy storage" ended, which we are about to open at the beginning of February.

We received over 120 questions, which shows the high level of interest," the minister said.

He pointed out that under the measure it will be possible to apply for three months, not two, as usual, and the budget for the procedure is BGN 200 million. It is one of four that are to be opened in the next six months, in line with MIR under the Recovery Plan.

According to Pulev, MIR also inherited 0 approved European programs for 0 BGN. and innovations with a budget of BGN 2.4 billion. Thus, in 5 months from BGN 0, we have secured a resource of over BGN 5 billion for small and medium-sized businesses in the country," he said and added that in the next six months the opening of three procedures - for the development of innovations, for the implementation of innovations and for the construction of 12 digital innovation hubs (for a total of about BGN 560 million in total).

Minister Pulev specified that MIR's resource for business is BGN 1.2 billion for the next six months.

He drew attention to the PKIP procedure for "Implementation of innovations in small and medium-sized enterprises" with a budget of BGN 293 million, for which applications will be available from April.

"To a large extent, it replicates the first procedure under the PVA for 'Technological Modernisation'.

Thus, companies that failed to receive funding for the same from the Recovery Plan will be able to apply for funds from the new Competitiveness Program," said Pulev.

He pointed out that the state is working at full speed to support small and medium-sized companies in our country, which are the backbone of the economy.

"The office is a cabinet of action, a cabinet of acceleration.

We also proved it with the good interaction with Deputy Prime Minister Pekanov and his team, as well as with all other fellow ministers," said Pulev.

The event was also attended by Atanas Pekanov - Deputy Prime Minister for European Funds, Desislava Georgieva - Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Nataliya Efremova - Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy, Iliyana Ilieva - Chief Director of the General Directorate "European Funds for Competitiveness" ( DG EFK), as well as business representatives.

The Chief Director of DG EFK at MIR Iliyana Ilieva presented a presentation that showed the business representatives in detail the upcoming procedures with their terms and values.

Alexander Pulev

Recovery plan