A Total of 189 Projects Apply for Funding under Two PHARE Programme Grant Schemes

The Commission assessing proposals under a pilot project for financing one of the six planning regions started work today. The “Pilot Integrated Scheme for the North-eastern Planning Region” project is the first to provide grant aid for target financing of the regions of Silistra, Dobrich, Razgrad, Turgovishte, Shoumen and Varna. The project is worth EUR 6.14 million of which EUR 4.6 million have been provided by the EU under its PHARE programme and EUR 1.54 million are from the national budget. The PHARE Executive Agency of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works has received 80 projects competing for financing under the four components of this grant scheme. The project will provide funding for initiatives for modernising business servicing infrastructure, activities related to the development of tourism and human resources in the North-eastern Region as well as provision of business consulting services to enterprises of the region’s production sector. The deadline for applying expired on 16 August. The call for proposals under another grant scheme: Cross-Border Employment Initiative, Bulgaria - Greece also ended at the beginning of this week. A total of 109 proposals were filed. They will compete in the distribution of EUR 1.75 million in the four regions along the border zone with Greece: of Blagoevgrad, Smolyan, Haskovo and Kurdjali. The approved projects are expected to boost employment through joint initiatives of Bulgarian and Greek nongovernmental organizations and sectoral organizations. The Cross-Border Employment Initiative, Bulgaria – Greece will provide assistance to small business, newly established companies and in the realization of initiatives related to new employment opportunities in the border region. Public Relations and International Activities Directorate