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Fifteen municipal projects have already been approved under Component 1 of the "Socio-Economic Integration ..." procedure, co-financed by the Human Resources Development and Science and Education for Smart Growth Operational Programs. Leading beneficiaries are the municipalities of Borovo, Nikola Kozlevo, Yakimovo, Lukovit, Tundzha, Pavlikeni, Sredets, Gulyantsi, Boichinovtsi, Polski Trambesh, Isperih, Strazhitsa, Krasna Polyana - Sofia, Kaspichan and Shabla. Each project has been developed in partnership with an NGO, a school / kindergarten and an employer. Approved projects will be implemented for a period of 2 years, starting from 1 January 2019 and ending on 31 December 2020. 34 more projects are expected to be approved by early December.

The approved municipalities will sign a tripartite agreement with the heads of the two Managing Authorities - OPHRD (Deputy Minister Zornitsa Rusinova) and OPSESG (Mr. Kiril Geratliev). Reports will be submitted to each of the two operational programs separately. The projects will provide the opportunity - for the first time - for a relatively large-scale intervention at municipal level, covering employment, social and health services, education, as well as community development and overcoming negative stereotypes. 

What is the operation for?

On 10th of November 2016 the Managing Authorities of the Human Resources Development and Science and Education for Smart Growth Operational Programs announced a procedure for the implementation of an operation to support the implementation of the Municipal Integration Plans for Roma 2015-2020. The concrete beneficiaries of the operation are the municipalities, which have approved - by decision of the Municipal Council - a municipal plan for integration of the Roma 2015 - 2020. The municipalities were obliged to apply only in a mandatory partnership with at least one NGO, a school / kindergarten and an employer.

It was envisaged that the Integrated Procedure would be implemented in two components:

Component 1 (BGN 50 million OPHRD + BGN 20 million OPSESG): It will be implemented on the territory of municipalities with updated municipal plans for Roma integration for the period 2015-2020, in accordance with the National Strategy of the Republic of Bulgaria for Roma Integration 2012 -2020. These are the so-called municipalities in "rural areas", as well as those urbanized municipalities that do not have social housing in their Integrated urban development plan. These municipalities will implement theso called "soft measures", divided into 4 fields: access to employment, education, social and health services, development of local communities and overcoming negative stereotypes;

Component 2 (BGN 30 million OPHRD + BGN 3 million OPSESG): It will be implemented on the territory of the municipalities of 39 cities from the 1st to 3rd hierarchical level of the national polycentric system, according to the National concept of spatial development 2013-2025 - Beneficiaries under Priority Axis 1 of the OPRD 2014-2020, in which the IUDP includes measures for the construction of social housing. Both the "soft measures" and the construction / reconstruction of social housing will be implemented in them.

In March 2017 the concepts of fifty-two municipalities (out of 78 submitted) under Component 1 were approved: Borovo, Kubrat, Antonovo, Satovcha, Cherven Bryag, Nikola Kozlevo, Tvarditsa, Yakimovo, Septemvri, Bratsigovo, Lukovit, Tundzha, Rakitovo, Dryanovo, Zavet, Tervel, Sredets, Pravets, Ihtiman, Vidin, Samuil, Valchi dol, Sliven, Belitsa, Gulyantsi, Lesichovo, Boychinovtsi, Hadjidimovo, Krivodol, Polski Trambesh, Asenovgrad, Etropole, Isperih, Dve Mogili, Botevgrad, Elin Pelin, Strazhitsa, Smyadovo, Lyaskovets, Radomir, Krasna Polyana - Sofia, Dolna Mitropolia, Borovan, Kaspichan, Dolna Banya, Shabla, Byala (Ruse), Novo Selo, Kyustendil, Vetovo and Simitli. They were invited to submit projects by the end of May 2018, which 49 municipalities did.

In view of the fact that the 49 municipalities are specific beneficiaries, the Evaluation Committee asked for additional information and adjustments in several stages. All 49 projects will be approved in early December at the latest.

Municipalities, which did not submit project concepts

As the approved concepts under Component 1 are worth less than BGN 26 million, which is considerably less than the 55 million BGN allocated to the "Socio - Economic Integration" operation, it is expected with the rest of the resource to be re- invited municipalities that meet the requirements of Component 1: those, who have got approved Municipal Roma Integration Plans. It has not yet been decided in what form and when this will happen. The request for a second invitation to the municipalities was also addressed at a meeting of the Roma Integration Network organizations with the heads of the two Managing Authorities - OPHRD (Deputy Minister Zornitsa Rusinova) and OPSESG(Mr. Kiril Geratliev).