EU Grants for Bulgaria: Complete Funding Guide for Bulgarian Organizations [2026]

Bulgaria sits in a structurally advantaged position in the EU funding landscape. As a Widening country under Horizon Europe, Bulgarian institutions access instruments that are simply unavailable to researchers in Germany, France, or the Netherlands. Combined with €11 billion in Cohesion Policy funds and €5.6 billion in PNRR grants, the total EU funding pipeline for Bulgaria in 2021-2027 exceeds €16 billion. This guide maps every major programme, explains how the Widening advantage works in practice, and tells you where to get support.

Bulgaria's Widening Country Status: What It Actually Means

The term "Widening country" refers to EU member states and associated countries where research and innovation performance lags behind the EU average, as measured by indicators such as R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP, publication impact, and past Framework Programme success. Bulgaria qualifies on these criteria.

Widening status unlocks four dedicated instruments under Horizon Europe, all ring-fenced within the Widening participation and Strengthening the European Research Area (WIDERA) work programme. Approximately 3.3% of the total Horizon Europe budget is allocated to these instruments. For Bulgaria, this translates into several hundred million euros of callable funding that competitors in Western Europe cannot access.

Teaming for Excellence: Building Centres of Research

Teaming is the most ambitious of the four instruments. A Bulgarian institution acts as the coordinator and partners with a world-class research institution from another EU or associated country to create or fundamentally upgrade a centre of excellence on Bulgarian soil. The multi-phase structure (typically a Coordination and Support Action followed by a Research and Innovation Action) provides both planning funding and substantial implementation funding. Projects are expected to become self-sustaining after the Horizon Europe phase through national and private co-investment.

Twinning: Strategic Networking for Departments

Twinning is the most accessible Widening instrument. A Bulgarian research institution coordinates with at least two leading counterparts to build long-term research partnerships through staff exchanges, short-term visits, workshops, summer schools, and dissemination events. Twinning projects run for two to three years and are well-suited for department-level collaboration. The next deadline under the 2025 work programme is April 2026.

The Hop-On Facility: Joining Running Projects

The Hop-On Facility addresses one of the core barriers for Widening country participation: being excluded from consortium formation before a call opens. Under Hop-On, a Bulgarian institution can approach any Horizon Europe Pillar 2 or EIC Pathfinder project already under grant agreement and propose to join by contributing a distinct, valuable work package. If all existing partners agree, the Commission amends the grant to add the new partner and their dedicated budget.

Horizon Europe: Bulgaria's Performance and Trajectory

Bulgaria's performance in Horizon Europe has improved substantially compared to Horizon 2020. The headline success rate of 19% sits above the 17% programme average, a reversal from Horizon 2020 where Bulgarian applicants were below average. This improvement reflects both better proposal preparation and the structural advantages of Widening instruments.

Despite the improving success rate, Bulgaria still ranks among the lower EU countries by absolute volume of Horizon Europe funding received. The gap is partly structural (smaller R&D sector, fewer large research universities) and partly addressable through better proposal support, more consortium partnerships, and wider use of Widening instruments. The transition to a professional NCP network is expected to materially improve the quality and volume of Bulgarian applications from 2026 onward.

Top Performing Sectors for Bulgarian Horizon Europe Applicants

Bulgaria's strongest Horizon Europe performance tracks its areas of genuine scientific capability and industrial base:

• Information and Communication Technology - Sofia has a dense software engineering and IT services sector that feeds into digital and AI research proposals.
• Biotechnology and Life Sciences - The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and medical universities have active collaborative research portfolios.
• Agriculture and Food Systems - Bulgaria's agricultural sector makes it a natural participant in Horizon Europe food, bioeconomy, and rural research calls.
• Materials Science and Chemistry - Legacy of industrial chemistry research infrastructure.
• AI and Supercomputing - The INSAIT institute and Sofia Tech Park's AI Factory position Bulgaria as a growing node in European AI research infrastructure.

Cohesion Policy 2021-2027: The €11 Billion Structural Funds Package

In June 2022, the European Commission adopted the Partnership Agreement with Bulgaria, committing approximately €11 billion across the full 2021-2027 period. This is delivered through eight operational programmes, with EU co-financing rates typically between 70% and 85% for most interventions.

What Cohesion Funds Mean for Bulgarian Organizations

Cohesion Policy funds flow primarily through the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance and managing authorities for each operational programme. Unlike Horizon Europe, where Bulgarian organizations compete directly with EU-wide applicants, Cohesion funds are allocated exclusively to Bulgaria and disbursed through national calls. This means higher effective success rates for eligible Bulgarian applicants, provided they meet the programme-specific eligibility and co-financing requirements.

Bulgarian SMEs, research institutions, universities, municipalities, and NGOs can all access Cohesion funds through open calls published by the relevant managing authority. The EUMIS2020 system (successor to UMIS) is the national electronic submission platform for Cohesion-funded applications.

PNRR: Bulgaria's €5.6 Billion Recovery Plan

Bulgaria's National Recovery and Resilience Plan was approved by the Council in April 2022. The revised plan totals €5.6 billion in grants (reduced from the original €6.17 billion following a mid-term revision). The plan runs through August 2026, making 2025 and early 2026 the final window for most implementation calls.

PNRR funds flow through Bulgarian line ministries rather than EU institutions. The Ministry of Finance coordinates overall implementation; the Ministry of Innovation and Growth oversees most business and innovation-related measures. A critical difference from Cohesion funds: PNRR is milestone-based rather than expenditure-based. Bulgaria must demonstrate achievement of predefined milestones and targets to receive each payment tranche.

The Bulgarian Innovation Ecosystem

Sofia Tech Park and INSAIT

Sofia Tech Park is Bulgaria's first science and technology park, established with ERDF co-financing and focused on IT, life sciences, and green energy. It serves as a physical and institutional bridge between academia, business, and government. The South East European Innovators Program (SEEIP), run from Sofia Tech Park, supports research-based startups with incubation, acceleration, and tech transfer services across the Balkan region.

The Institute for Computer Science, AI and Technology (INSAIT) was established in 2022 at Sofia University with backing from ETH Zurich and EPFL. In 2024, Sofia Tech Park and INSAIT were selected together for a €90 million EU project to host one of six European AI Factories as part of the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking's strategy. The Discoverer++ supercomputer, the centerpiece of the BRAIN++ project, positions Bulgaria as a node in the European high-performance computing and AI research infrastructure.

CAP Strategic Plan: €3.5 Billion for Agriculture

Bulgaria's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan for 2023-2027 has a total budget of approximately €3.5 billion, covering direct payments and rural development. The plan emphasises climate smart agriculture, water management, and farm digitalisation. The "Sustainable Agriculture" investment within the PNRR adds a further layer of funding for the ecological and technological transition of Bulgarian agriculture.

For Bulgarian agricultural SMEs, food processors, and rural municipalities, the CAP Strategic Plan managed by the State Fund Agriculture (Държавен фонд „Земеделие") is typically the most accessible and best-matched funding source.

National Contact Points: Where to Get Application Support

Bulgaria's NCP network covers all Horizon Europe thematic areas. NCPs provide free pre-application advice, help identify suitable calls, review draft proposals, and connect applicants with potential consortium partners. The network operates under the Ministry of Education and Science, although it has historically relied on voluntary rather than professional full-time staff.

This is a known limitation. A 2024 analysis by Science|Business noted that Bulgaria's voluntary NCP model is unusual among EU member states and limits the support capacity available to applicants. Efforts are underway to professionalize the network, but the transition is gradual. In practice, applicants should contact NCPs early in the process and supplement NCP support with advice from private consultancies or European Enterprise Network (EEN) advisors.

How to Apply: A Practical Roadmap for Bulgarian Organizations

Step 1: Identify the Right Funding Source

The starting point is understanding which type of funding fits your organization and project. The three main streams work differently:

• Horizon Europe - EU-wide competitive calls; apply directly on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Bulgarian organizations compete with all EU applicants, but Widening instruments give additional entry points.
• Cohesion Policy - National calls managed by Bulgarian authorities; apply through EUMIS2020. Less competition, but only Bulgarian organizations are eligible.
• PNRR - Similar to Cohesion in national delivery, but faster-paced with strict milestone-based conditions and a hard 2026 deadline for all commitments.

Step 2: Register and Obtain Your PIC

Step 3: Build Your Consortium (Horizon Europe)

Most Horizon Europe calls require multi-partner consortia with participants from at least three different EU or associated countries. For Bulgarian applicants, the consortium strategy is important. Strong Western European partners (Germany, France, Netherlands) bring recognition and track record; partners from other Widening countries add political coherence to proposals emphasising ERA cohesion and cross-regional impact.

Top Priority Sectors for Bulgarian EU Grant Applications in 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Find EU Grants for Your Bulgarian Project

Bulgaria's EU funding environment is more complex than a single portal search can reveal. Horizon Europe Widening instruments, Cohesion operational programmes, PNRR components, and CAP strategic plan calls are all separate systems with different submission platforms, eligibility rules, and timelines.

GrantsFinder uses AI to match your project against live EU funding calls in under two minutes. Describe your organisation, your research or business activity, and your location in Bulgaria, and the system surfaces the most relevant open calls ranked by fit score, with direct links to official programme pages.

You can also explore our complete beginner's guide to EU grants and the EU grants for startups guide if you are applying as a Bulgarian startup or SME.