NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY SERVICE

Their core work

Bulgaria's National Agricultural Advisory Service (NAAS) is the public body responsible for delivering farm advisory services, extension, and knowledge transfer to farmers across the country. In H2020, they contributed their on-the-ground expertise in farmer education and peer-to-peer learning, participating in large European networks that connect advisors, researchers, and farming communities. Their role centers on bridging the gap between applied agricultural research and practical adoption at farm level, with a strong focus on demonstration activities and interactive innovation.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

With only three projects spanning 2017–2024, the evolution is incremental rather than dramatic. The earliest project (PLAID, 2017) focused narrowly on peer-to-peer learning through farm demonstrations, while the later projects (NEFERTITI, i2connect) expanded toward structured advisory systems, cross-fertilisation across farming themes, and connecting advisors to interactive innovation. The trajectory moves from passive demonstration toward active, networked advisory infrastructure.

NAAS is moving from participating in demonstration activities toward shaping how agricultural advisory systems operate at European scale, making them a relevant partner for future AKIS-related calls.

How they like to work

NAAS operates exclusively as a participant, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as a national public body contributing country-level implementation rather than project leadership. They work in large consortia (76 unique partners across 23 countries), indicating comfort in big, multi-actor coordination and support actions. Working with them means gaining access to Bulgarian farming communities and advisory infrastructure as part of a broader European network.

NAAS has collaborated with 76 unique partners across 23 countries, reflecting the large-consortium nature of Coordination and Support Actions in agriculture. Their network is pan-European with no evident geographic concentration beyond the broad food and farming advisory community.

What sets them apart

As Bulgaria's official agricultural advisory body, NAAS offers something most research partners cannot: direct institutional access to the country's farming population and extension infrastructure. For consortium builders targeting Eastern European farming communities or needing national-level advisory system representation, NAAS is the natural Bulgarian partner. Their track record in demonstration networks means they can mobilize real farms and real advisors for pilot and dissemination activities.

Highlights from their portfolio

• NEFERTITI
  Largest funding (EUR 259K) and most thematically rich — covers 10 demonstration themes across European farming networks with strong AKIS integration.
• i2connect
  Most recent and longest-running project (2019–2024), focused on the strategic topic of connecting advisors to interactive innovation in agriculture and forestry.