Bulgaria
The office can help Norwegian companies interested in finding partners in Bulgaria.
Partnerships can open up opportunities on the Bulgarian market, give access to networks in a strategic location with a highly skilled population and a promising investment destination within the EU where costs remain relatively low.
Opportunities from the EEA and Norway Grants (EØS-midlene)
The EEA and Norway Grants (EØS-midlene) are Norway’s contribution to cohesion and cooperation in Europe. The Grants aim to reduce economic and social disparities in Europe and to increase cooperation between the beneficiary country and Norway.
The programme on Green Business and Innovation in Bulgaria provides a total of 30 million euro to projects on green and digital innovation, industry and capacity-building. The funding is available through open calls for proposals.
The main aim of the project is to increase the competitiveness in Bulgaria. The applicants and promoters of the projects are Bulgarian companies. Norwegian entities are partners that contribute to the project with knowledge, experience, best practice. 9
Norwegian partners do not just help their Bulgarian partners. They benefit from the projects too. Project participation leads to financing, market entry, joint results, testing of solutions, networking and learning for the Norwegian partner too.
Read more about the EEA and Norway Grants here.
Partner search
It is important to find good partners. Norwegian companies or other entities like research institutes, universities, business innovation clusters or other entities can be partners in the projects. The partners should have all of their costs covered by the project.
Bulgarian companies looking for a Norwegian partner, and Norwegian companies interested in Bulgaria can contact Innovation Norway’s office in Sofia.
Market Opportunities
As an EU member since 2007, Bulgaria enjoys a stable and resilient financial system, a good credit rating and a competitive business environment. Costs remain low, and Bulgaria maintains a flat 10% corporate and income tax rate—among the lowest in the EU.
The Bulgarian economy is stable and growing. Bulgaria joins the Eurozone on 1 January 2026, fullyintegrating with European financial markets. The country is also committed to the EU’s aims for innovation, sustainable development and clean industrial growth.
Combining strategic location, economic stability and access to major international markets, Bulgaria provides a gateway to success at the crossroads of Europe and beyond.
Bulgaria is a regional hub for information technology (IT) and business process outsourcing (BPO). The country combines high levels of education and a multilingual workforce with competitive operational costs, attracting both international technology firms and a thriving local startup ecosystem. Theinnovation ecosystem sees rapid growth in areas such as software development, artificial intelligence, fintech and cybersecurity.
Manufacturing and industrial production continue to be the backbone of Bulgaria’s economy. Bulgaria is promoting industrial innovation and sustainable production practices, including the development of advanced automation, precision machinery and smart devices as well as innovation clusters, industrial parks and logistics centers.
The automotive industry is among the country’s strongest and fastest-growing sectors, contributingaround 11% of the GDP. Bulgaria hosts over 350 companies and 36 R&D centers, producing components for some of the world’s leading car manufacturers. Approximately 80% of the sensors used in European cars are produced in Bulgaria.
The robotics and mechatronics industries are expanding, supported by Bulgaria’s strong engineering background and a growing network of innovation and technology centers.
The renewable energy and sustainability sectors are gaining momentum, supported by Bulgaria’s abundant solar, wind, and hydro resources. The government actively encourages investment in green energy production, energy storage, and smart grid technologies.