MIG: In the next 6 months, businesses will receive financing for BGN 1 billion under 7 business programs

14 projects for over BGN 4.3 million will be financed by MIG in Kyustendil under the Recovery Plan. These are the first companies from the region that will take money under it, announced the head of the minister's office Krasimir Yakimov

Through the Ministry of Innovation and Growth, in the next six months we will pour BGN 1 billion in the form of seven different procedures for small and medium-sized businesses in Bulgaria. This was stated by the Minister of Innovation and Growth Alexander Pulev in Kyustendil at a briefing with the regional governor Alexander Pandurski.

"We are finishing the mobile reception in Kyustendil. In four months, we managed to hold 28 meetings with all regional governors," said Pulev, quoted by the Ministry of Innovation and Growth. According to him, the purpose of the tour throughout the country was to promote the opportunities for Bulgarian businesses to apply for the procedures of the Recovery and Sustainability Plan (RSP) and EU structural funds.

Minister Pulev stated that the MIG is the most active department in relation to PVU. "We managed to open two procedures under the Plan. The first "Technological Modernization" ended with more than 2,500 project proposals submitted, of which 953 were approved and will receive BGN 260 million in grants. According to the second one for "ICT solutions and cyber security", we received over 7,600 projects for over BGN 146 million, and at the beginning of February we will also announce the winning companies," he said and emphasized that the submitted projects are currently being evaluated.

According to Pulev, the resource of BGN 1 billion will be available to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the country according to the procedures of the Recovery Plan, the new Program "Competitiveness and Innovations in Enterprises" 2021-2027 (PCIP) and the Program for "Research, Innovation and Digitization for Smart Transformation" 2021-2027 (PRIDST).

"The state continues to work at full speed. On August 2, the cabinet found zero out of a possible 10 euro programs. At the moment, we have 10 out of a possible 10 approved programs for BGN 20 billion," said Pulev. He announced that the MIG's contribution is significant - when he was appointed, there were zero approved programs, and at the moment both have been approved, which the Ministry will manage, with a total resource of over BGN 5 billion under the EU structural funds.

"These funds are for all areas, not for a certain clique of usual suspects," Pulev emphasized.

He recalled that both European programs for the MIG were approved in a record short period of time. The Program "Competitiveness and Innovations in Enterprises" (PCIP) 2021-2027 with a budget of BGN 3 billion was sent to Brussels on August 16 and approved by the European Commission on October 3. Program "Scientific research, innovation and digitization for intelligent transformation" 2021-2027 (PRIDST) with a budget of BGN 2.14 billion - sent on October 26 and approved on December 5.

"As early as this month, we are starting to open procedures on them," Pulev also said.

The head of the minister's office, Krasimir Yakimov, presented data for the Kyustendil Region. "14 projects for over BGN 4.3 million will be financed by MIG in Kyustendil under the first procedure "Technological modernization" from the Recovery Plan," he announced. Yakimov also said that under the second procedure for "ICT solutions and cyber security" 62 projects for over BGN 1.2 million were submitted by the district.

"The data for the area show that there is interest from companies. There are over 6,000 enterprises in the district, and over 99% of them are micro, small and medium. I urge everyone to apply and take advantage of the Ministry's resources," said Yakimov.

According to the data of the General Directorate "European Funds for Competitiveness" under the OPIC program from the old program period, 80 contracts for over BGN 19 million were concluded in the district, 50 of which have been completed. Under the "Energy Efficiency" procedure, 30 contracts were concluded for over BGN 3 million, and with regard to measures to overcome COVID-19, 458 contracts were concluded for nearly BGN 9 million.

According to the Bulgarian Investment Agency, whose principal is the Ministry of Innovation and Growth, three projects worth over BGN 350 million with over 1,600 jobs have been certified in the Kyustendil Region.

The mobile reception was also attended by the head of the minister's office Krasimir Yakimov, the deputy regional governor of Kyustendil Valentina Karaganova, the chief director of the General Directorate "European Funds for Competitiveness" Iliyana Ilieva, representatives of local business and employer organizations.