The National Innovation Fund (NIF) is opening the national funding procedure for Bulgarian participants in projects ranked under the Eureka Eurostars-3 / Call 8. Applications may be submitted from 17 to 27 November 2025, by 17:30 EET, entirely electronically via UMIS. The maximum grant available to each Bulgarian participant approved by NIF is the BGN equivalent of up to EUR 100,000.

The National Innovation Fund (NIF), acting as the State aid administrator for the Eurostars-3 Joint Programme under the Eureka initiative, is opening the procedure for the Bulgarian participants in projects ranked under Eurostars-3 / Call 8 to submit their national-stage documentation.

The Eurostars-3 application process consists of two stages. At the first stage, project applications are submitted and evaluated internationally within Eureka. Following approval of the list of ranked projects by the Eureka High-Level Group, the Bulgarian participants proceed to the second, national stage – submission of the required documentation to NIF for national funding.

Applying to NIF

Submission period: 17 November 2025 – 27 November 2025, by 17:30 EET

How to apply: Applications must be submitted electronically through the EU Funds Management and Monitoring Information System (UMIS): https://umis2020.government.bg/

Maximum grant: the BGN equivalent of up to EUR 100,000 for each Bulgarian participant approved by NIF.

Project duration: up to 36 months. Within two years following successful project completion, the resulting product, service or other project outcome must be protected as industrial property, implemented in practice and brought to market.

Reporting periods: determined by each beneficiary, with each reporting period lasting between 3 and 6 months.

Eligible applicants: enterprises – legal entities and traders registered in Bulgaria under the Bulgarian Commerce Act – as well as research and knowledge-dissemination organisations registered in Bulgaria.

Aid intensity

The maximum aid intensity may reach up to 80% of eligible project costs, subject to the applicable conditions.

The basic aid intensities are:

• for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and research and knowledge-dissemination organisations – up to 50% of eligible costs for industrial research and up to 25% for experimental development;
• for large enterprises – up to 40% for industrial research and up to 20% for experimental development.

The aid intensities for industrial research and experimental development may be increased to up to 80% of eligible costs, subject to the conditions laid down in Article 23 of the Updated Rules for the Management of the National Innovation Fund (2025).

Assessment of national-stage submissions

Applications submitted to NIF undergo:

1. an administrative compliance and eligibility assessment;
2. a financial assessment of the project budget.

The assessment is carried out in accordance with the Updated Rules for the Management of the National Innovation Fund (2025) and the Rules for the Evaluation of Project Proposals under the Eurostars-3 Joint Programme, as updated by Order No. RD-14-412/29.10.2025 of the Minister of Innovation and Growth.

Further information on the international application stage of Eurostars-3 is available on the official Eureka website: https://www.eurekanetwork.org/