A draft version of the Operational Program "Competitiveness and Innovation" was published on the following website: http://www.opcompetitiveness.bg/module3.php?menu_id=276
The interventions by EU structural funds in the next programming period should provide intelligence, growth, efficiency and support for the economy. Based on this, they are divided into several main priorities - technological development and innovation, competitiveness and productivity of enterprises, green and energy-efficient systems and business support and promotion of the economy.
The OP "Competitiveness and Innovation" will be based on a strategic approach for smart specialization and will focus on sectors that generate growth. Special attention in the document is given to the export-oriented sectors, such as ICT, electronics, food processing, automotive and components, textiles, clothing and design, creative industries, health tourism. In order to reduce the proportion of materials and low-tech industries in Bulgarian export list (they currently occupy 44% and 27% of it) will be supported sectors that add higher value production. The initial version of the operational program "Competitiveness and Innovation" provides an opportunity to support start-ups with good competitive and innovative base. Grant schemes will be covered along with financial engineering schemes. The program provides flexible use of them according to the specific conditions and needs.
The structure of the original version of the OP "Competitiveness and Innovation" provides three priority axes:
Priority Axis 1: "Innovation and Entrepreneurship" will support the development and commercialization of innovative products, processes and business models, investment in research and development, development of shared infrastructure and services for innovative small and medium enterprises. This can be done through the creation of innovative parks, centres of knowledge, transfer and commercialization of innovations, labs for demonstrations of concepts, certifying laboratories, support for the development of clusters in sectors with high potential for development and introduction of innovation and export potential financial instruments (accelerators, venture capital funds for co-financing) and others.
Priority Axis 2: "Competitiveness and Resource Efficiency" will focus on improving the facilities in enterprises to increase productivity and efficiency of SMEs. Projects for technological modernization, introduction of low-carbon technologies and energy efficiency, and more will be supported.
Priority Axis 3: "Financial Instruments" addresses the limited access of SMEs to finance, including innovative and risky projects, innovative entrepreneurship. Support under this axis will be mediated through financial intermediaries, including equity and debt instruments as a tool for co-financing funds for seed funding guarantee facility, financing through risk sharing and others.
The main focus for interventions in the next programming period is based on smart specialization strategies, the development of which is coordinated by a team of MEET. This document is one of the essential prerequisites for the planning of EU funds in the new programming period 2014-2020. The strategy provides the basis for prioritizing the operational program "Competitiveness and Innovation" on a number of key issues. These include the modernization of the system of research and innovation, the creation of mechanisms for policy coordination in the field of science and innovation, as well as establishing partnerships under the European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures. Object of the strategy are the opportunities to build broadband infrastructure for digital growth and eco-innovation. The document outlines the framework conditions for the development of bio products and biotechnology, as well as to support innovative activities in the food industry and agriculture. Using the innovative potential of the sea and coastal areas is also subject to the strategy.