MIG: Companies will be able to receive from BGN 50,000 to BGN 500,000 for developing innovations under a new program

The Ministry of Innovation and Growth will finance Bulgarian companies with funds from BGN 50,000 to BGN 500,000 under an innovation development procedure. The measure will be open for applications in March, with a total value of BGN 128 million. It will be the first for 2023 under the new Competitiveness and Innovation in Enterprises Program 2021-2027 (CIEP) with a total budget of BGN 3 billion BGN The measure is aimed at micro, small, medium and large enterprises. Large enterprises, including those with up to 3,000 employees, are eligible for support only in cooperation with small and medium-sized enterprises.

It is expected that the procedure will be announced for public discussion in February, will start in March, and the application for it will continue until September.

The maximum aid intensity (i.e. the share of the project amount that will be paid) is from 25% to 60% depending on the category of the enterprise, the place of implementation of the project, etc.

The aim is to provide focused support to Bulgarian enterprises to increase innovation activity by developing innovations in the thematic areas of the Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialization 2021-2027 (ISIS 2021-2027). The subject areas under ISIS are "Informatics and ICT", "Mechatronics and microelectronics", "Healthy living industry, bioeconomy and biotechnology", "New technologies in creative and leisure industries" and "Clean technologies, circular and low carbon economy".

Projects must be aimed at developing a product innovation or a business process innovation that relates to the production of goods and the provision of 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. Activities for the protection of industrial property at the national and international level and the use of the necessary expert assistance will also be admissible under the procedure.

We remind you that the Ministry of Innovation and Growth will open 10 procedures in 2023 for over BGN 1.7 billion in three directions - the National Recovery and Sustainability Plan (NRSP), the new Program "Competitiveness and Innovation in Enterprises" 2021- 2027 (CIEP) and the new for Bulgaria Program "Research, innovation and digitization for intelligent transformation" 2021 - 2027 (PRIDIT). BGN 1.2 billion of the planned amount will be available for application by Bulgarian companies already in the first six months of this year.