From June 2025, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Bulgaria will be able to submit projects for funding under the Cross-border Programme INTERREG VI-A Bulgaria - Republic of North Macedonia. The programme will allocate almost 5 million euro to support economic growth and the development of sustainable business models in the region, BalkanEngineer.com has learnt from an announcement by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works.

The programme is part of the EU Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance and covers the regions of Blagoevgrad and Kyustendil in Bulgaria, and the North-East, East and South-East regions in the Republic of North Macedonia. The total budget of the programme is 31 152 400 euro.
The main priorities for funding will be: technology modernisation, innovation deployment as well as green transformation through investments in environmental and digital technologies. Projects must include a minimum of 65% investment in new equipment, up to a maximum of 600 000 euro. Project partnerships can include up to four partners.
Eligible applicants are SMEs with at least 51% private equity, as well as local authorities, scientific and academic institutions, NGOs and other organisations. Funding will be entirely grant-based, with projects running for up to 24 months.
Details and application information can be found on the programme's official website.

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