The Bulgaria Fund was a 3-year, $3-million grantmaking initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and GMF. Created in 2007, the Fund continued the USAID reform agenda in Bulgaria and provided financial assistance to initiatives that aim to accomplish one of the following objectives:

• advance the rule of law and local/national judicial and government reform;
• ensure economic opportunities and social integration for vulnerable groups; and
• generate a more competitive labor force and labor market through practical, technical, and advanced training programs and career development services.

The Bulgaria Fund was managed by GMF's Belgrade-based Balkan Trust for Democracy (BTD) and awarded small to medium sized grants to organizations implementing programs based in Bulgaria. Only indigenous and Bulgaria-based international organizations were eligible for funding. In addition, the Bulgaria Fund supported programs with regional or international focus, creating linkages between Bulgarian government officials, business professionals, as well as organizations and their foreign country counterparts to exchange best-practices, expand local economic opportunities, and help develop sustainable partnerships for future coordination efforts.

Note: The Bulgaria Fund has disbursed all of its funds and no longer receives nor reviews project proposals.