Funding for Charging Infrastructure and Green Investments 2026: What Exists and What Does Not

Every month we get the question: "is there an EU programme for charging stations?" As of August 2026 the answer is uncomfortable but more useful than vague promises: there is currently no open scheme through which a company can fund an EV charger with a grant. Here is what is actually on the table — and what is coming.

The big catch: "green technologies in SMEs" does not fund renewables

The open procedure BG16RFPR001-2.003 "Introduction of green technologies in SMEs" sounds like a solar programme but explicitly excludes exactly that. The Managing Authority's official answer of 21 August 2026 confirms it: acquiring and building a photovoltaic system and an energy storage system are not eligible — activities that reduce energy consumption or replace an energy source are excluded.

What it does cover, if you make physical products:

• Budget ~€83M, grants of €77,000 – €300,000 per project, up to 70% intensity for micro and small firms (de minimis).
• Four circular-economy directions: waste management, raw material and water optimisation, less packaging, sustainable products.
• Deadline: 16:30 on 10 November 2026 via ISUN.
• Construction works and vehicles are also ineligible — so an installed charging station is out too.

What existed for charging, and when to expect it again

The only real instrument for charging infrastructure was the procedure under the Transport Connectivity Programme (BG16FFPR001-3.004) with a €10M budget and up to €256,000 per project — 65% intensity for micro and small, 55% for medium, 35% for large enterprises. It required charging hubs on the TEN-T network with substantial total power, and eligible costs included on-site renewable generation and storage — the combination clients ask us for most often.

That procedure is currently closed. Realistic horizons for what comes next:

• A new procedure for SMEs in the coal regions (Stara Zagora, Kyustendil, Pernik) — in July 2026 the ministry announced it is terminating the current procedure and restarting it from scratch with objective, automatically calculable criteria.
• A STEP procedure for clean and resource-efficient technologies — in the indicative programme with a budget of about BGN 58.7M and 70% intensity.
• The Modernisation Fund lists "zero-emission mobility infrastructure" as a planned area.

What works today

While we wait for a new grant call, green bank loans and tax mechanisms are fully working instruments.

• Dedicated green loans — ProCredit offers a separate "EcoMobility" product precisely for electric vehicles and charging stations, including installation and grid connection, plus a photovoltaic installation loan; the Bulgarian Development Bank finances renewables and energy efficiency through the Council of Europe Development Bank.
• Accelerated depreciation — under Art. 55(8) of the Corporate Income Tax Act, electric vehicles acquired after 1 January 2026 depreciate at up to 50% per year instead of the standard 25% — two years instead of four.
• The economics themselves — with business electricity around €0.14/kWh excluding VAT and public charging around €0.38/kWh, your own solar system remains the cheapest kilowatt-hour you can secure.

RENEWFM 2026: for large ground-mounted projects

The RENEWFM 2026 scheme is open until 17:00 on 1 September 2026 with a €54.9M budget, but applies only to ground-mounted solar plants with batteries in the Pernik, Kyustendil and Stara Zagora districts. Minimum capacity is 10 MWp, and the battery must sit at the same grid connection point with a rating of 30–100% of the plant. Support is awarded by competitive bidding with a ceiling of €130,000 per MW.

If your project is at that scale, the deadline is days away — see the terms on our funding page.

What we advise our clients

Do not postpone an investment for a programme whose call has no date yet. The practical approach we recommend:

• Make the project financially sound without a subsidy — if it only pays back with a grant, the risk is too high.
• Prepare the documents in advance: energy analysis, quotes, structural assessment — so you have weeks of head start when a call opens.
• Combine: solar for self-consumption, a battery for peaks and charging stations are funded through different lines but work as one system.
• Watch the deadlines — we update our programmes page with every new call.

Ask us about your case — we will tell you honestly whether a suitable programme exists, instead of promising you one.