By 15 February, the winegrowing and winemaking sector may apply for investment support

From 15 January to 15 February 2024, applications are open under the interventions “Investments in the Wine-growing and Wine-producing Sector“ and “Investments in Environmental Facilities“ in the wine-growing and wine-producing sector, pursuant to Article 5, paragraph 2 of Ordinance No. 14 of 11.09.2023 on the conditions and procedures for granting financial aid under the interventions in the wine-growing and wine-producing sector, included in the Strategic Plan for the Development of Agriculture and Rural Areas for the period 2023 – 2027.

For the first time in the wine-growing and wine-producing sector, investments in environmental facilities are eligible.

By Order No. RD09-1230/01.12.2023 of the Minister of Agriculture and Food, the budgets for the two interventions “Investments in the Wine-growing and Wine-producing Sector“ and “Investments in Environmental Facilities“ have been determined.

BGN 49,256,897.32 is the total budget under the intervention “Investments in the Wine-growing and Wine-producing Sector“ from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) for the period 2024 – 2026.

BGN 12,137,236.17 is the total budget under the intervention “Investments in Environmental Facilities“ from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) for the period 2024 – 2026.

Applicants under the interventions in the wine-growing and wine-producing sector shall submit documents for financial support solely through the Electronic Services System (ESS) of the State Fund “Agriculture“ with a qualified electronic signature (QES).

Eligible investments in the wine-growing and wine-producing sector:

1. Enterprise infrastructure:

a) purchase or purchase on lease of new machinery and equipment, including computer software, in relation to:

aa) machinery/equipment for grape processing;

bb) equipment for fermentation control, equipment for processing wine and grape must;

cc) equipment for temperature control;

dd) equipment for transferring wine in the cellar premises;

ee) equipment for technology related to sparkling wines;

ff) equipment for bottling, labelling, packaging;

gg) equipment for waste water management;

hh) equipment for the infrastructure of the wine cellar – pipeline systems, piping, various networks (oxygen, nitrogen, water, SO2, etc.); installation and auxiliary facilities; automatic systems;

ii) equipment for storage, blending, care and ageing of wine – barrels for fermentation, storage and ageing of wine, including temperature-controlled barrels; stainless steel tanks for wine production and wine storage – stationary and mobile; plastic tanks for wine production and wine storage (certified for food purposes); rehabilitation of reinforced concrete facilities for storage of wine-growing and wine-producing products through the application of internal lining of the epoxy resin or stainless steel type; equipment for cellar premises for fermentation, storage and ageing of wine – racks, containers, humidifiers, micro-oxygenation (micro-oxygenators), steam generators; modular system for positioning barrels; automated racking system for storage of bottled wines;

b) construction and installation works for construction, superstructuring, extension and/or reconstruction of buildings intended for:

aa) wine production (from grape processing to bottling and labelling of wine in the cellar);

bb) wine quality control – analytical laboratories;

cc) wine storage – warehouses;

dd) improvement of the infrastructure in the enterprise.

2. Marketing tools (including construction and installation activities) – wine shops; exhibition and tasting halls; fixed retail outlets on the holding (on the territory of the enterprise).

3. Accompanying activities to the activities referred to in items 1 and 2, such as fees for engineers and consultants, preliminary studies, acquisition of patent rights and licences and construction supervision – costs of not more than 4 percent of the total amount of project costs.

Eligible investments in environmental facilities

Under this intervention, applications are eligible for:

1. enterprise infrastructure:

a) purchase or purchase on lease of new equipment, including computer software, related to the use and management of the operation of renewable energy sources on the territory of the enterprise;

b) construction and installation works for construction, superstructuring, extension and/or reconstruction of buildings intended for treatment of waste water and other waste products from the production process; installations for composting and processing of other waste products; sources of renewable energy;

2. accompanying activities to the activities referred to in item 1, letters “a“ and “b“, such as fees for engineers and consultants, preliminary studies, acquisition of patent rights and licences and construction supervision – costs amounting to not more than 4 percent of the total amount of project costs.

(2) The maximum period for implementation of the activities under paragraph 1 is until 1 July of the second financial year following the financial year of conclusion of the contract for granting financial aid.

The instructions to assist applicants are uploaded in the ESS and are available at the following links:

For the intervention “Investments in the Wine-growing and Wine-producing Sector“ https://seu.dfz.bg/drupal/?q=node/58

For the intervention “Investments in Environmental Facilities“ https://seu.dfz.bg/drupal/?q=node/59