site.btaNearly 7,500 Companies Registered in Bulgarian Construction Chamber's Central Professional Register

The number of construction companies registered in the Central Professional Register maintained by the Bulgarian Construction Chamber (BCC) approaches 7,500 for the first time , shows the latest economic report for the sector released Tuesday by the branch organization. According to the data, as of September 9, 2024, the registered companies are 7,462, of which 7,417 are Bulgarian and 45 - foreign. 

BCC Board Chair Ilian Terziev is quoted by BCC as saying that after several difficult years, the industry is mobilizing for the expected large volume of work. In his words, the increase in the number of companies registered with BCC started in the summer and continues in the autumn. The number of newly registered companies is 785, with 80% of them newly established in the Commercial Register, Terziev said. “After the long stagnation, work is now expected on the municipal programme, the renovation and on other projects, where mainly small and medium-sized companies are involved, as they are the backbone of the industry", the BCC Board Chair added.

All companies carrying out construction exceeding 100 sq. m. are obliged to register with the BCC, as without a certificate from the BCC they cannot legally carry out construction works. According to BCC report, the share of small companies with up to 49 employees is the largest, amounting to 6,527. Medium-sized construction companies with between 50 and 249 employees number 830, and the remaining 60 companies are large - they employ more than 250 people.

According to the economic report, in the first half of this year the total construction output was BGN 10.2 billion, marking a growth of 28.7% compared to the same period last year. In the first six months of 2024, a total of 6,068 permits for new buildings’ construction were issued, a drop of 2.5% compared to the same period in 2023. Construction of 4,326 new buildings has started, marking an increase of 9.4%. Up to 2,065 new residential buildings were commissioned, showing a decrease of 21.6% compared to the same period last year. 

In the first half of 2024, 2,730 public contracts were announced with a total value of BGN 5.7 billion, which shows an increase of 18.2% in number and a decrease of 25.4% in value.