The strategic project RESCALE (“Scaling Regions”) has been launched under the INTERREG VI-A IPA Bulgaria–Serbia Programme 2021–2027, with a budget of over €6 million and a focus on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the border region.
The official launch event took place on 24 March 2026 at the Ministry of Innovation and Growth in Sofia, hosted by the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency.
The opening ceremony brought together representatives of national and European institutions, as well as partner organisations from both sides of the border. Among them were Desislava Georgieva, Director of the Directorate “Management of Territorial Cooperation” at the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, Margarita Grancharska-De Muynck from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, H.E. Milan Ravnich, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Serbia to the Republic of Bulgaria, and Aleksandar Milićević from the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The event gathered a wide range of participants, including representatives of businesses, sectoral and employers’ organisations, associations and media.
The initiative is the first of its kind and aims to strengthen economic ties between the two countries by supporting businesses to grow, enter new markets and build sustainable partnerships.
“RESCALE comes at a time of rapidly changing economic conditions and provides real opportunities for SMEs to adapt, enhance their capacity and access new markets. It will also create a platform for sharing ideas, knowledge, contacts and solutions among businesses on both sides of the border,” said Desislava Georgieva, Head of the Managing Authority of the Programme, during the opening event.
The project is implemented by the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency in partnership with the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Science and Technology Park Niš, and will run until December 2028.
A total of 200 SMEs – 100 from Bulgaria and 100 from Serbia – will benefit from a comprehensive development programme, including business diagnostics, training, mentoring and access to international markets.
Participating companies will also receive support for market positioning, certification and intellectual property, as well as access to research infrastructure for developing and testing new products.
The support focuses on four main areas: internationalisation, digital transformation, green economy and development of tourism services.
The project is expected to contribute to reducing economic disparities in border areas, where some regions remain less developed and less connected.
The project also includes the preparation of an in-depth analysis of economic linkages between Bulgaria and Serbia, with the support of the World Bank. The study will identify sectors with growth potential, including in green and digital value chains, and will propose concrete measures to improve the business environment.
The results will support both the implementation of the project and the development of future policies aimed at strengthening cross-border cooperation.
