Support for Development of Existing Innovation Clusters

Support for Development of Existing Innovation Clusters (BG16RFPR002-1.003) sits under PNIIDIT 2021-2027, the Bulgarian programme for scientific research, innovation, and digitalization. It is aimed at established innovation clusters that can strengthen cooperation and regional innovation capacity, rather than at new cluster formation. The most recent cycle is already closed and the signed contracts show it has moved into execution. The call capped support at €1,955,830 per project and allocated about €12.3 million across the 2025 round. Co-financing ranged from 50% to 65% depending on region and expense type. Eligible applicants had to be Bulgarian-registered clusters with at least three years of operation; the record also notes a preference for clusters based in Northern Bulgaria. The most recent round approved 12 projects, with administrative contracts signed in March 2026. This is a fit for clusters with a real track record of convening companies, research bodies, and regional stakeholders. The programme rewards operational maturity and the ability to turn cooperation into measurable regional capacity, so applicants need more than a nominal cluster label. It is not a broad open-ended innovation fund; it is a targeted structural instrument for established networks that can show they already function as an ecosystem vehicle.

No upcoming rounds verified. Cadence: Annual.