From today, 15 October, the Employment Agency is taking applications for the second round of the "Specific Skills for the Workforce" project. Employers can get money to train their own staff, and they choose the courses themselves, the agency said.
The second round is opening because of the high interest in May, the agency said. More than 450 applicants came forward in the four weeks of the first round.
Employers decide which courses they need and who will teach them: an outside organisation or an experienced person. The courses cover specific job skills, including working with new technology and digital tools.
The training is open to staff on employment contracts of at least 4 hours a day, people on management and control contracts, and the self-employed. One person can take more than one course, as long as the total stays under the cap.
A company can get up to €15,338.76 before VAT, and that sum includes its own co-funding. The cap for all courses for one person is €1,278.23 before VAT.
Applications and the required documents must be sent to the Employment Agency through the Secure Electronic Delivery System (SEDS). The deadline is 4pm on 16 November 2026. The conditions, eligible costs and list of documents are on the agency's website. Questions can be sent to spu@az.government.bg.
The money comes from the Human Resources Development programme 2021–2027, which the EU co-funds through the European Social Fund+.