By a decree of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria, several National Research Programs were approved. The largest of these is "Low Carbon Energy for the Transport and Domestic Use (EPLUS)", with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) designated as a leading organization.

The main objective of the program is to support R&D and demonstration activities for the introduction of new technologies related to renewable energy and the decarbonisation of the economy.

Within a relatively short time, a large-scale consortium for the implementation of the Program was created, comprising 16 organizations - both BAS institutes and Universities, based on their competence in the scientific fields covered by the Program.

As a result of the Partnership Agreement between the participants, on November 28, 2018, an agreement was signed between the Ministry of Education and Science and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences for the implementation of the Program (DO1-214/November 28, 2018).

The research team that will implement the activities of the Program covers a core of 200 researchers from the partner organizations, selected on the basis of their competence, and individual activities will be performed by other researchers.