site.bta1,182 Active Concessions in Bulgaria, Nearly Half of Which Are Municipal, Deputy PM Karadjov Says

According to the National Concessions Register as of October this year, Bulgaria has 1,182 active concessions, nearly half of which – 507 – are municipa, said Grozdan Karadjov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications, during the plenary session “Financial Horizon 2026+” at the Annual Meeting of Local Authorities held in the Albena resort. The event was organized by the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria.

"More and more municipalities are realizing that concessions are not a threat, but an opportunity — a tool that allows them to do more with fewer resources," said Karadjov.

Concessions are not limited to roads, ports, and airports, as is commonly believed. They can transform lives even in sensitive areas such as education, culture, and especially social services, Karadjov emphasized.

For example, in 2023, the Municipality of Gorna Malina (western Bulgaria) awarded a concession to restore the old school building in the village of Osoitsa — a building with a 100-year history. Today, it has a new life and is now called the international school "Cosmos", part of the Cambridge International School network, the Deputy Prime Minister pointed out. "This is the power of a well-executed concession — it doesn’t just build, it revives an educational initiative," he added.

The word “concession” comes from Latin and means “granting as a condition” — in other words, the state or municipality temporarily grants a private partner the right to manage or maintain a given asset under clear rules and public oversight, Karadjov explained.

"A concession is not a threat; it is a much smarter way to accelerate development with more investment, less pressure on the budget, and better services for citizens," Karadjov commented.

"We live in a time when public resources are clearly no longer sufficient. That’s why we must look around us more creatively and consider what we can offer," the Deputy Prime Minister said.

"If the topic had to be reduced to a single question, it would be: how can we ensure a better life for people? How can we achieve real investments with limited resources — in modern roads, clean cities, quality services, accessible schools, and safe communities?" Karadjov asked. He added that positive examples are already visible where the state, municipalities, and businesses work together.

As examples of successful public-private partnerships, he highlighted the ports "Burgas-East 2" and "Burgas-West", where over BGN 614 million in investments have been made so far — funds the state would not have been able to secure on its own. He added that revenues for the state have already exceeded BGN 60 million.

"There is a lot of talk about the concession of Sofia Airport, and various arguments are made about why it’s not good — but the facts show otherwise: EUR 624 million in investments, including the construction of the new Terminal 3," Karadjov said. He noted that for this project alone, the state would have had to provide around BGN 500 million. So far, the budget has already received BGN 281 million in advance concession payments.

"These are the facts that show that when the state, business, and local authorities act together, the results are visible. The success of state concessions speaks for itself," the Minister concluded.

The government will support every municipality that has the will and vision to use this tool for development, he emphasized.