REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA

National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) has been approved under Art. 20 of Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 February 2021 for establishing a Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (RRM/Mechanism). The implementation of the RRP is carried out under Regulation (EU) 2021/241, the EU Council Implementing Decision approving the assessment of Bulgaria's Recovery and Resilience Plan and its Annex, the Grant/Loan Agreement between the European Commission and the Republic of Bulgaria, as well as the relevant regulations at European and national level.

Main objective

The main objective of the RRP is to facilitate economic and social recovery from the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Plan includes 57 investments and 48 reforms, divided into 12 components and 4 pillars, as follows: Innovative Bulgaria, Green Bulgaria, Connected Bulgaria and Fair Bulgaria.

Ministry of Education and Science (MES)) play a leading role in the implementation of Pillar 1 “Innovative Bulgaria”, components “Education and Skills” and “Research and Innovation”, under the Council of Ministers Decree No. 157 of 7 July 2022 on the definition of the authorities and structures responsible for the implementation of the RRP of the Republic of Bulgaria and their main functions.

Executive Agency “Programme Education” (EAPE) as a unit of the Monitoring and Reporting Structure (MRS) of the Minister of Education and Science, which is tasked to carry out the activities and/or functions of the MRS of the investments under Pillar 1 “Innovative Bulgaria” of the CSP: C1.I1 Centres for STEM and innovation in education (STEM centres);

• Centres for STEM and Innovation in Education (STEM Centres);
• C1.I2 Upgrading educational infrastructure;
• C1.I4 Youth centres
• C2.I1 Programme to accelerate economic recovery and transformation through research and innovation

Pillar 1 “Innovative Bulgaria”

Main objective

Enhancing the competitiveness of the economy and transforming it into a knowledge-based and smart growth economy through measures in education, digital skills, science, innovation, technology and their interlinkages.

Components:

• Education and skills;
• Scientific research and innovation;
• Intelligent industry.

Reforms:

• Reform of pre-school, school education and lifelong learning;
• Reform of higher education;
• Implementation of a common policy for the development of research, innovation and technology for the benefit of accelerated economic and social development of the country;
• Building a mechanism to attract industrial investment and develop industrial ecosystems.

Component 1 “Education and skills”

The total budget is BGN 1 705.6 million, of which BGN 1 434.7 million provided by the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (RRM) and BGN 270.9 million national co-financing.

Investments

Investment 1 (C1.I1): “STEM centres and innovation in education”: Ensuring the physical environment and technical equipment and furnishing of STEM spaces in school education to create a new generation of integrated learning environments to encourage and support educational innovation in STEM learning and teaching and to increase student interest in science and research.

The procedure will support the establishment of STEM Centres and High-Tech Equipped and Connected Classrooms (HETCC) in schools through the supply of equipment/furniture/software and works to establish new contemporary learning spaces and the transformation of existing traditional learning spaces and common spaces/areas to establish new architectural learning environments. The total planned resource is BGN 534.3 million (BGN 445.2 million at the expense of the RRM and BGN 89 million - national co-financing) with the implementation period 2021-2026.

Investment project 2: “Modernisation of educational infrastructure”: repair, reconstruction, renovation, construction of installations for the use of alternative energy sources, heating, ventilation and cooling of the facilities, landscaping, etc. Priority will also be given to financing the complete renovation and construction of kindergardens, schools hostels and campuses to provide favourable living conditions for the education, training, socialisation and development of students. The total amount of funding is BGN 328.8 million including VAT.

The programme plans the construction of a complete renovation of at least 57 kindergardens and 83 schools, including 24 VET centres of excellence, the construction of at least 16 new kindergardens and schools, the complete renovation of at least 23 pupil and student hostels and the construction of at least 3 student campuses.

The total planned resource is BGN 328.8 million including VAT with the implementation period 2021-2026.

Investment Project 4 “Youth Centres”: establish and ensure the effective functioning in the early years of youth centres providing a variety of activities (including international activities) and comprehensive services to support the personal development and employability of pupils and young people up to the age of 29. New jobs are created in municipalities. The total planned resource is BGN 16 million with an implementation period 2022-2026.

Pillar 2: Establishing a network of research universities of the Accelerating Economic Recovery and Transformation through Science and Innovation Programme

Component 2 “Innovative Bulgaria”

Investment 1: Programme for accelerating economic recovery and transformation through science and innovation: creating a new model for the development of research universities by funding the creation and implementation of Strategic Research and Innovation Development Programmes (hereinafter referred to as “Programmes”). It is planned that by year 2030 research universities will receive a state subsidy for research and innovation activities of approximately 40% of the tuition subsidy, which is also set out in the Higher Education Development Strategy 2021-2030.

Supporting research universities and the network between them will provide the necessary conditions for increasing their participation in international, European and national programmes, including the Horizon Europe FP.

Strengthening the research universities and the network between them will help to realise the scientific and economic potential of the regions and the country as a whole; it will stimulate partnerships between the academic community and industry, allowing businesses for the first time to have systematic access to research capacity throughout the process of innovation and technology transfer.

The total value of the funded project proposals amounts to BGN 236 million with an implementation period of 2022-2026.