On March 27, 2025, the first practical seminar dedicated to clean energy transition projects for local authorities took place in Vratsa. The event was part of the information and training campaign under the FLAG-FICET project, funded by the LIFE Programme, and was organized by the FLAG Fund at the Regional History Museum – Vratsa. The seminar brought together mayors, deputy mayors, and municipal experts from Western Bulgaria.
Eng. Tsvetan Stoichkov, Deputy Mayor for Construction of Vratsa Municipality, welcomed the participants and presented the green projects implemented by the host municipality. Vratsa is among the first municipalities to receive technical assistance under FLAG-FICET and additional funding from FLAG for the implementation of five projects – four focused on building energy efficiency and one on urban mobility. The joint project with Montana Municipality for sustainable mobility, co-financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) and the FLAG Fund under FLAG-FICET, will make Vratsa the first municipality in the Balkans with 100% electric municipal transport – both urban and intercity.
Nadya Dankinova, Executive Director of the FLAG Fund, presented various financing mechanisms available to municipalities and their enterprises with the support of FLAG. The main focus was on the FLAG-FICET financial instrument, energy efficiency and clean energy transition projects, as well as the benefits of technical assistance and complementary financial mechanisms beyond grants.
Assoc. Prof. Yana Kirilova from Club "Economics 2000" presented the opportunities for technical assistance under FLAG-FICET in the four thematic areas set out in the Second Call for Projects. She emphasized that the deadline for submitting requests for free technical assistance for structuring green investments by local authorities is June 30, 2025.
Ivan Gavalyugov, Mayor of Botevgrad Municipality, presented a successful energy efficiency project at Botevgrad General Hospital (MBAL-Botevgrad), financed through the Bulgarian Investment Platform with EIB support and backed by the FLAG Fund. Botevgrad Municipality applied for funding of BGN 2.5 million for the renovation of two hospital blocks. The project is expected to significantly improve energy efficiency, upgrading the buildings from energy class “E” to class “B”, with anticipated energy savings of 3,036,568 kWh/year. Ivan Gavalyugov highly praised the investment opportunities provided by the FLAG Fund, highlighting the professionalism and efficiency of the fund’s team.
In the second panel, Prof. Daniela Bobeva from the Institute of Economic Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences highlighted the challenges and opportunities facing local authorities in the green transition. She emphasized the role of Cohesion Policy and the Recovery and Resilience Plan in promoting sustainable projects and regional convergence. Maria Radoycheva, an expert from Gabrovo Municipality, shared the experience of establishing the first energy community for energy production in Bulgaria. The project, implemented on the site of the Regional Non-Hazardous Waste Depot, involves 73 individuals and legal entities, including small and medium-sized enterprises.
The Social Climate Fund and the opportunities it offers to Bulgarian municipalities for socially just climate neutrality transition projects were presented by Assoc. Prof. Dochka Velkova from Club "Economics 2000". Miroslav Petrov from LEAD Vision demonstrated the concept of a Municipal Monitoring Center – an innovative system for the control and management of key municipal resources.
At the end of the event, participants had the opportunity to explore the exhibitions at the Regional History Museum – Vratsa, including the Vratsa Treasures and the unique Rogozen Treasure – one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in Bulgaria.
The information and training campaign under the FLAG-FICET project, funded by the LIFE Programme, aims to raise awareness among public authorities about the benefits of clean energy projects and overcome one of the main barriers to their widespread implementation. The campaign will continue with events in other regional cities across the country in 2025.
