The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will provide consultancy services for the introduction of electronic public procurement in Bulgaria.

The services will be paid for through funding under the operational program "Technical Assistance," according to the government's press office.

In order for this to happen, Bulgaria's government proposes to Parliament to ratify the contract for support services for the implementation of a project of the Ministry of Economy and the EBRD signed in May 2013.

The contract sets out the terms and conditions of the provision of consultancy services by the EBRD to the Ministry of Economy and Energy in connection with the development and introduction of a system for electronic public procurement in Bulgaria.

Under the contract, the services provided by the EBRD will consist in consultancy on studying and analyzing good practices in EU member states boasting well-functioning electronic public procurement systems.

The contract also envisages the preparation of variants of a concept paper on the introduction of the electronic public procurement system which Bulgaria's government will approve at a subsequent stage.

The EBRD is also to provide technical assistance for the practical implementation of the electronic system.

The introduction of e-procurement is expected to save time and resources, decrease the role of subjective factors, and minimize the risk of errors.

The measure is also expected to reduce the administrative burden on the business sector and to have a significant environmental impact due to the abolition of paper document circulation.

E-procurement is also to reduce the risk of corruption in public procurement deals, boost transparency as regards public spending and improve the business environment.