Essence:
Operative Program “Regional Development” is a single operational program for all six regions in Bulgaria, which are eligible for funding under the “Convergence” of cohesion policy of the EU. To a large extent it reflects coordination with other sectoral operational programs in order to ensure coherence and complementarity in an effective way. The budget for the period 2007-2013 is 1 361 083 545 euro. For 2013 as the last year of the current period remaining funds are in amount of 579 998 934 BGN.
Specific aims of OPED are:
• Building sustainable and dynamic urban centers and association with their less urbanized peripheral areas and increasing opportunities for prosperity and development.
• Providing better access to road, ICT and energy networks in lagging regions
• Increasing the potential for regional tourism development and marketing of sustainable, diverse, specific tourist products with higher added value.
• Mobilization of regional and local technical and institutional capacity and resources to implement regional development policies.

Priorities:
There are five main priorities for the period 2007-2013: Sustainable and integrated urban development ; Regional and local accessibility, which include investments in regional and local in infrastructure (second and third class roads), information and communication networks, access to sustainable and efficient energy; sustainable development of tourism ; regional and local networks, cooperation and capacity; local development and cooperation, which include small-scale investments and interregional cooperation; technical assistance.
OPRD’s strategic focus is urban development and achieving of this strategic aims is through the following indicative allocation of financial resources in Priority 1 urban agglomeration areas:
• 100 million for the capital Sofia.
• 300 million for municipalities of the 6 largest cities (Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Ruse, Pleven, Stara Zagora).
• 100 million for the 29 municipalities covered by the agglomeration areas of Sofia and the 6 largest cities.
• 339 million for the 50 municipalities covered by the 29 agglomeration areas of:
a) 24 medium-size cities with a population over 30,000 inhabitants,
b) 4 cities with populations between 20,000 and 30,000 inhabitants, and
c) Panagyurishte
Beneficiaries could be: Industry, product, local and regional tourism associations; State Agency for Information Technologies and Communications; State Agency for Tourism; Euroregions; Units of district administrations acting as secretariats of Regional Development Councils (LAU level 1); Health Centers; Institutions governing monuments of national and global importance; Local and regional tourism associations; Ministry of Health; Ministries; Regional administrations; Public companies Public Transport; Telecentres; Municipalities; Public Authorities; Associations of Municipalities; Associations of owners of multifamily buildings; Social and educational institutions; Fund “Road Infrastructure”;Centers for Health.
Activities that may be financed by OPRD for 2013:
• Building of social housing
• Implementation of systems for integrated public transport
• Marketing of tourist destination
These schemes are still not opened.
Current open scheme is:
BG161PO001/5-03/2013 “Support for integrated urban regeneration and development II”
Deadline – 30.12.2014