The Ministry of Economy and Energy published the project Guidelines for applying for the upcoming schedule BG161PO003-2.1.14 "Technological modernization of small and medium enterprises." Application requirements according to the information in the document are as follows:

Budget: 97 791 500 lev

Eligible costs are:

Acquisition of tangible fixed assets:

- Purchase and commissioning (delivery, installation and initial testing) of machines and equipment representing tangible fixed assets, including the purchase of computer equipment needed to work with computer applications listed below.

Acquisition of intangible assets:

- Purchase and commissioning of intangible assets - software applications for process control and / or specialized software applications for design and product development, patent rights, licenses, "know-how" or proprietary technical knowledge, etc.

Consultancy services for preparation of the project proposal under the current scheme - not more than 10, 000 lev.

Funding

∙ For micro and small enterprises - 70%

∙ For medium enterprises - 60%

Minimum and maximum amount of aid

∙ Micro enterprises - 100,000 Levs, 500 000 Levs.

∙ Small enterprises - 200,000 Levs, 1,000,000 Levs.

∙ Medium - 300,000 Levs, 2,000,000 Levs.

Condition of the minimum amount of financial assistance raises the lower limit of the amount of investment that candidates must fulfill the following:

∙ Micro enterprises - 142 857.14 lev.;

∙ Small enterprises - 285 714, 29 lev.;

∙ Medium enterprises - 500 000, 00 lev.

Beneficiaries

Applicants must meet the following conditions:

∙ be legal persons or sole traders registered under the Trade Law or the Cooperatives Law

∙ to be based in Bulgaria

∙ to be micro (up to 9 employees), small (10-49) or medium (50-249) enterprises

∙ to have at least 3 completed financial years (2010, 2011 and 2012)

Net sales in the last completed financial year (2012) plan depending on the category of the candidate undertaking should be at least:

- Micro enterprises - 150 000 Levs.

- Small enterprises - 300 000 Levs.

- Medium - 750 000 Levs.

To develop their core business in the following sectors by Classification of Economic Activities-2008:

- Section C

- Sector J - sections J61 Telecommunications, J62 Activities in the field of information technology, J63 Information Services;

- Sector M - only section M72 Scientific research and development.

If applying under the scheme "Technological modernization of Small and Medium Enterprises' interest to your company, we can assist you in this by providing you with the following services:

At application stage

1. To make a detailed personal consultation within which to introduce you in detail the conditions and procedure for applying for the program

2. To evaluate the potential of your company to fight the grant by making an estimate of the number of points that can get the project under the published criteria for the scheme.

3. To prepare the application, the project budget and other documents to be submitted for evaluation.

Implementation stage of the project

4. To organize the selection of suppliers for the project, under the Council of Ministers Decree 69.

5. To prepare intermediate and final reports and requests for payment of financial assistance.