Already in January 2023, the application under the new Competitiveness Program begins

Already in January 2023, the Ministry of Innovation and Growth opens for applications the first procedure under the new program "Competitiveness and Innovations in Enterprises" (PCIE) 2021-2027. It will be for the development of innovations in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises with budget of BGN 127 million.

The program was approved by the European Commission in record time - it was sent on August 16 and approved on October 3. Its total budget is BGN 3 billion. It is a continuation of the Operational Program "Innovations and Competitiveness" 2014-2020 (OPIC) and is one of the two major programs for business managed by the Ministry of Innovation and Growth.

It will support innovations in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises at various stages of their development. Partnership projects between SMEs and large companies to develop new technologies and innovations will be paid for. The main priorities of the Program are two - "Innovations and Growth" and "Circular Economy".

Funds are provided for the development and implementation of innovations in companies, development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, creation of new or development of existing companies with a focus on high-tech sectors of industry, protection of patents, industrial property, etc. Digitization, the increase of cyber security, data privacy in small and medium-sized enterprises and the skills of the staff to work with the technologies of Industry 4.0 will be stimulated. In addition to greater energy efficiency and independence of companies, the second priority - "Circular Economy" includes financing for more efficient use of resources, the development of products with greater durability or with the possibility of recycling, increasing the use of secondary raw materials, improving waste management, etc.

The next MIG procedure also opens at the beginning of 2023, in the amount of BGN 117.5 million - to improve the production capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises, family businesses, companies from the creative industries and crafts. After it, there will be a third procedure - around the middle of 2023 - for the implementation of innovations in small and medium-sized enterprises for nearly BGN 300 million.