Training vouchers from the Bulgarian Employment Agency: who is eligible, which courses and how to apply

Short answers about the voucher programme for employed people in Bulgaria: what it is, which training it funds, whether the courses are free and how to apply. The facts about the programme come from the project page on the Employment Agency's website.

What are training vouchers?

Training vouchers are issued by the Bulgarian Employment Agency under the project "Qualification, Skills and Career Development of Employed Persons". The project is funded by the Human Resources Development Programme 2021–2027, co-financed by the European Union through the European Social Fund Plus.

With a voucher, the Agency pays for the course directly to the training provider you chose in your application. The aim of the project is for employed people to improve their qualifications and skills, including digital skills.

Who is eligible for a training voucher from the Employment Agency?

Employed persons, including the self-employed. The Employment Agency checks whether the applicant belongs to the target group of the project and may ask for additional documents.

For the language courses with a voucher at Kabinata (kabinata.com) the conditions are: you work at the time of applying, you have completed at least secondary education, and you have no other active voucher for a foreign language. Approval is the Agency's decision.

Which training programmes are there for working people and what are the conditions?

For working people there is the project "Qualification, Skills and Career Development of Employed Persons" — Component 1. At least 36,688 people are expected to take part, and the total budget of Component 1 is 94,379,419.48 euro.

There are two conditions: you are an employed or self-employed person, and you submit an electronic application.

Which training is funded with a voucher?

• Vocational qualification, or qualification in part of a profession.
• Multilingual competence — a foreign language.
• Mathematical competence and competence in science, technology and engineering.
• Digital competence — basic, intermediate, advanced and highly specialised level under the DigComp framework.
• Personal and social competence and learning-to-learn skills.
• Entrepreneurship competence.

The project does not fund training in mother-tongue communication or in citizenship competence.

Are the language courses with a voucher free for employed people?

Yes. According to the Employment Agency, training with vouchers is entirely free for the learners and no co-financing is required from them. If a training provider asks you to pay an amount as a guarantee, you have the right to submit a new application and choose another provider.

At Kabinata (kabinata.com) the course with a voucher costs you 0 €: the voucher covers the lessons with a teacher, the materials, the final exam and the platform with AI practice.

What does a foreign-language voucher cover?

A full course of 300 academic hours — three consecutive levels of 100 academic hours each (for example A1, A2 and B1), worth up to 460 €. After each completed level you receive a certificate from Kabinata BG OOD that states the level under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

How do I apply for a training voucher?

Only with an electronic application in the Employment Agency's e-Az portal (serviceseprocess.az.government.bg):

• You register in e-Az.
• You submit an application under the project "Qualification, Skills and Career Development of Employed Persons".
• You choose the training — for a foreign language this is "Key competences" → "Multilingual competence", the language and three consecutive levels.
• You choose the training provider — for a course at Kabinata this is „КАБИНАТА БГ“ ООД, with exactly this name.

The portal and the application form are in Bulgarian. Every field of the form, one by one (in Bulgarian): kabinata.com/vaucheri/kak-se-kandidatstva.

Which documents do I need to apply for a training voucher?

The application is submitted only electronically in e-Az — no documents are brought or sent to the training provider. The Employment Agency checks whether you meet the conditions and may ask for additional documents. If it does, provide them — not providing them may lead to a refusal.

How do I change the training provider for my voucher?

If you have not started training yet, you change the provider with a new application in e-Az, in which you choose the new provider; giving up the old voucher is also done through e-Az. If you want to study at Kabinata (kabinata.com), choose „КАБИНАТА БГ“ ООД in the new application — write to us or call 0878 755 009 and we will guide you through the steps for free.

Where can I study a foreign language with a voucher?

At Kabinata (kabinata.com) you can study English, German, French and Spanish with a voucher — online, live with a teacher, 3 evenings a week from 18:30 to 21:15, in groups of up to 20 people. Between lessons you practise speaking with AI at any time.

The conditions, the start dates and the inquiry form are at kabinata.com/vaucheri.

Source for the programme: the page of the project "Qualification, Skills and Career Development of Employed Persons" on the Employment Agency's website (az.government.bg) · Kabinata BG OOD · EIK 200590600 · Phone 0878 755 009 · info@kabinata.com