21 innovation projects will receive nearly BGN 7 million from the 13th competition session of the National Innovation Fund

21 innovation projects will receive a total of nearly BGN 7 million within the 13th competitive session of the National Innovation Fund, managed by the Executive Agency for the Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises (EAPSME) under the Ministry of Innovation and Growth. This became clear from data presented by the Agency and cited by the Ministry of Innovation and Growth.

The fund provides financing in the amount of up to BGN 500,000 per project. In its 12 previous competition sessions, it has financed over 500 projects with over BGN 100 million.

This year, EAPSME introduced a number of changes aimed at reducing the administrative burden for businesses wishing to receive funding for their innovative ideas. Companies now apply through a new system, and the form to be filled in has also been optimized.

Among the proposals that find a place in the list of approved projects in the current 13th session are a monitoring system to prevent serious diseases, a technology to produce fire-resistant, energy-saving and insulating building elements from glass waste, an innovative approach for bioprinted cartilage implants, a solution for microplastic contamination in the aquatic environment, a solution for assessing microplastic contamination in water, as well as an innovative educational application.

All of them are part of the four priority axes that the Fund supports. They are "Informatics and Information and Communication Technologies", "Mechatronics and Clean Technologies", "Healthy Living Industry and Biotechnology" and "New Technologies in the Creative and Leisure Industries".

The winning 21 projects were selected from a total of 127 proposals. 17 of them will be implemented in partnership with research and knowledge dissemination organizations. Among the main goals of the National Innovation Fund is the promotion of research and development activities.