El sentido de trabajar con secuencias didácticas

During the period 2015-2017, €5.11m will be directed each year through the National Innovation Fund to support the innovation environment. In November-December 2014, 80 projects in two successive sessions of the Fund were approved. The subsidy disbursed amounts to €3.42m, as reported in the National Reform Programme, update 2015. Support for increasing the innovation activities of undertakings is also envisaged under Operational Programme ‘Innovations and Competitiveness’ (OPIC) 2014-2020. Within OPIC, a procedure with a budget of €150m for enhancing the production capacity of undertakings was launched in 2015 with three deadlines, depending on the technology level of the enterprises. 844 project proposals were received at the first deadline. The novel aspect relates to the introduction of a bonus system, which allows projects in the RIS3 ‘smart’ areas to receive additional points in the process of applying for expanded production capacity. Yet another procedure with a budget of €50m for promoting innovation activities in established enterprises is launched in December 2015 126 , following the Council of Ministers Decision on the update on RIS3 in November 2015127. Public consultation has been initiated for a procedure with a budget of €10m for promoting innovation activities in start-up enterprises128. Meanwhile, OP SME Initiative 2014-2020 with a budget of €102m has been approved by the European Commission129. In parallel, the implementation of projects to improve the innovation infrastructure (setting up and development of technology transfer offices, technology centres, clusters, development of “Sofia Tech Park”) and to increase the innovation activities in companies under Operational Programme Competitiveness 2007-2013130, as well as the JEREMIE initiative continue.

125_{http://fond.sofia-da.eu/en/}

126_{http://opcompetitiveness.bg/news.php?id=1025} 127 _{Council of Ministers Decision No.857/03.11.2015} 128_{http://opcompetitiveness.bg/news.php?id=1022} 129 _{13 October 2015}

69

3.5.2 Public procurement of innovative solutions

Background

Bulgarian public authorities announced 11,111 public procurements (3,163 over the European thresholds, 1,219 with European financing) in 2015. Among them, the ones related to construction amounted to 1,848, to delivery – 5,221 and to services – 4,042. The public procurement resulted in 22,328 contracts, with a total value of BGN 6.92b (€3.54b). These numbers are relatively well comparable across the years as indicated in the data collection of the Bulgarian Public Procurement Agency.131

Figure 21 Size of Procurement Sector (Bulgaria)

Source: Public Procurement Agency132_{, Bulgaria}

131 _{Additional public procurement indicators are available on the Agency webpage: http://www.aop.bg/} 132 _{http://rop3-app1.aop.bg:7778/portal/page?_pageid=93,1590259&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL}

70 Legal Public Procurement framework

Bulgaria transposed the two 2004 Directives on public procurement (2004/17/CE and 2004/18/CE) in 2006 through a modification of articles of its public procurement law (PPL). On 12 August 2015 the Bulgarian Parliament published a draft bill containing the new public procurement law set to replace the existing procurement regulations. The bill fully implements the new EU directives on public procurement (2014/23/EU, 2014/25/EU), which must be transposed by 18 April 2016.133

The bill envisages early introduction of mandatory electronic procurement on 1 July 2017 instead of the directive’s deadline of 18 October 2018, A centralised national electronic web platform will be created and it will be mandatory for all contracting authorities. The platform is due to go live on 1 July 2017, but some of its functions will not be available until 2020 – such as the electronic evaluation of offers and electronic signing of contracts, payment, invoicing and others.134 _{The bill also introduces the preliminary} market consultations, a new concept for the Bulgarian public procurement legislation. This should make communication between potential suppliers and contracting entities/authorities smoother.135

The newly adopted Strategy for Public Procurement136 _{postulates that the regulatory} framework for implementation of the new European Directives related to protection of the environment and promotion of innovation should be completed by 2016. The changes in the Public Procurement Law in 2015 lead to the transfer of the PPA from the responsibilities of the Ministry of the Economy to the Ministry of Finance in order to mainstream the processes with the functioning of the Public Financial Inspection Agency (PFIA), the unique competent authority in the country, which has administrative punitive responsibility of the public procurements.

The PCP/PPI landscape in Bulgaria

Besides the transposition of the Directives into the national public procurement legislation, Bulgaria has not set any specific schemes, guidelines, or labels for PcPs (unlike other Member States, such as Finland or the UK).

The Bulgarian Public Procurement Law neither directly encourages nor excludes innovation. But schemes or initiatives, strictly dedicated to PPI, have not yet been put in place. Some use is made of public procurement of innovative solutions as there are tenders that include innovation criteria. Tenders are based on output-based performance specifications and contracts are awarded on the basis of qualitative criteria which favour innovative solutions such as life-cycle analysis, rather than lowest price only. The only concrete initiative that promotes innovation in public procurement is the National Plan for Promotion of Green Procurement 2012-2014 (falling out of the scope of the current exercise) with one of the main objectives of the plan being: "Encouraging the purchase of goods and services with higher "public value" in terms of conservation of the environment, improvement of the social conditions and promoting innovative solutions". Innobarometer 2014137 _{shows that 69% of the Bulgarian companies have never} submitted a tender nor investigated opportunities to bid on a public procurement contract. Perhaps the system, even the innovative component, will need further changes to prove to business that fair competition is guaranteed and participation in public tenders is worthwhile.

133 _{Source: Bulgaria: Parliament published new public procurement bill, 18 August 2015,}

http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=604d872d-486e-4b38-87f1-83ea40bfb81b

134 _Ibid. 135 _Ibid.

136_{http://www.aop.bg/fckedit2/user/File/bg/novini/Strategy_OP.pdf} 137 _{p. 97}

71 PCP/PPI initiatives in Bulgaria

Bulgaria participates in the SPP Regions project138_{. SPP Regions is promoting the} creation and expansion of seven European regional networks of municipalities working together on sustainable public procurement (SPP) and public procurement of innovation (PPI). The regional networks are collaborating directly on tendering for eco-innovative solutions, whilst building capacities and transferring skills and knowledge through their SPP and PPI activities. The tenders within the project will achieve 54.3 GWH/year primary energy savings and trigger 45 GWh/year renewable energy. The focus of these tenders will be on: 1) energy use in public buildings; 2) vehicles and transport; 3) food and catering services. The project also pursues to strengthen networking and exchange at the European level by redeveloping the PROCURA+ European Sustainable Procurement Network139_.

3.5.3 Indirect financial support for private R&I

The proposal for a new Law on Innovation from 2012, not adopted in Parliament, planned to introduce direct tax incentives for research and innovation.

The current system incorporates indirect support for R&I, although the format is rarely known and used by the private sector. BAS, AA and HEIs are exempted from corporate tax and tax on income. Accelerated depreciation tax (100% annually) applies, also for private actors, for assets acquired by means of R&D. Tax deductible expenditure is considered donations (individual and corporate), which may include R&D&I, encompassing donations for HEIs and academies, cultural, educational and scientific exchange under international treaty whereby Bulgaria is a signee, scholarships and stipends, as well as donations to not-for-profit organizations in the central Registry, supported by the Ministry of Justice, for entities for public benefit. The study on R&D tax incentives, performed by DG TAXUD, compares the models implemented in different EU countries and identifies the existence of tax credits and accelerated depreciation in Bulgaria, which are less common compared to other member states, where enhanced allowance and patent box apply140_.