The component is part of the "Innovative Bulgaria" pillar and aims to increase the quality of education with an emphasis on acquiring analytical skills and developing creative processes. Also, the component focuses on the acceleration of modernisation and digitalisation of educational approaches, methods and practices.

The component includes a total of two (2) reforms and four (4) investments. The planned reforms will be applied mostly in preschool and middle/ high school and higher education.

Investment "STEM Centers and Innovations in Education" aims to increase digital literacy and motivation to learn and to promote interest and development of skills in the disciplines and fields related to natural and engineering sciences, artificial intelligence, robotics, and IT, but also the innovativeness and entrepreneurship for their practical application, including in the field of and linguistic knowledge, the arts, etc.

  • Beneficiaries of the investment will be the National STEM Center, the schools of the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria;
  • The available budget for the investment through financing from the Recovery and Sustainability Mechanism is BGN 480 million excluding VAT.

Investment "Modernisation of the educational infrastructure" will primarily finance the carrying out of complete repairs and construction of kindergartens, schools and dormitories and campuses to ensure favourable conditions for living, training, education, socialisation and development of students.

  • Beneficiaries of the investment will be the Ministry of Education, municipalities for municipal kindergartens and schools, state schools under the Ministry of Education and Culture, 24 vocational high schools as well as personal development support centres;
  • The available budget for the investment through financing from the Recovery and Sustainability Mechanism is BGN 569 million excluding VAT.

The acquisition "Providing Digital Skills Training and Creating an Adult Learning Platform" consists of two (2) sub-components - "National Virtual E-Learning Platform" and "DI-GI Skills and Competence Training". The main goal is to complement the reform actions in the field of adult education, by modernizing the adult education system and increasing the digital skills and competencies of the population.

  • The beneficiary of the investment will be the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy and its VRB (secondary budget authorities);
  • The available budget for the acquisition through financing from the Recovery and Sustainability Mechanism is BGN 322 million excluding VAT.

Investment "Youth Centers" aims to build and ensure effective functioning during the first years of youth centres, which provide a variety of activities (including international activities) and comprehensive services to help the personal development and employability of students and young people aged up to 29 years.

  • Beneficiaries of the investment will be the municipalities of Gorna Oryahovitsa, Svishtov, Sevlievo, Aytos, Karnobat, Nessebar, Pomorie, Nova Zagora, Kazanlak, Gotse Delchev, Petrich, Sandanski, Dupnitsa, Botevgrad, Ihtiman, Samokov, Velingrad, Peshtera, Asenovgrad, Karlovo, Dimitrovgrad, Svilengrad, Harmanli;
  • The available budget for the investment through financing from the Recovery and Sustainability Mechanism is BGN 63 million excluding VAT.

You can find updated information about the individual programs for funding under Component 1 of the NRSP here in the "Current European Programs" section.