Bulgaria

The office can help Norwegian companies interested in finding partners in Bulgaria. Partnerships open up for opportunities on the Bulgarian market, access to networks in a highly skilled population and investments in a promising destination within the EU where costs remain relatively low.

Opportunities from the EEA and Norway Grants (EØS-midlene)

Bulgaria is a beneficiary of the EEA and Norway Grants. The EEA and Norway Grants are Norway’s contribution to cohesion and cooperation in Europe. The Grants aim to reduce social and economic disparities and to increase cooperation between the beneficiary countries and Norway.

The programme on Green Business and Innovation in Bulgaria will provide 30 million euro to projects on green and digital innovation, industry and capacity-building in 2026-2031. The funding is available through open calls for proposals which will be launched from 2026. 

The aim of the project is to increase competitiveness in Bulgaria. The applicants and promoters of the projects are Bulgarian companies while Norwegian entities are partners, contributing with knowledge, experience and best practice to the project aim. The Norwegian partners benefit from financing, market entry, networking and learning, testing of solutions and joint results.

Read more about the EEA and Norway Grants here.

Partner search

Innovation Norway’s office in Sofia can help connect Norwegian and Bulgarian companies. Both Bulgarian companies looking for a Norwegian partner and Norwegian companies interested in Bulgaria can contact Innovation Norway’s office in Sofia.

Any Norwegian entity, including companies or other entities like research institutes, universities, business innovation clusters or others, can be partners in EEA and Norway Grants projects.

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, and Bulgaria joins the Eurozone on 1 January 2026, fully integrating with European financial markets. 

Bulgaria is a hub for information technology and business process outsourcing. 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. The innovation ecosystem sees 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 centres.

The automotive industry is among the country’s strongest and fastest-growing sectors, contributing around 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.