The Sofia Municipal Council approved the second edition of the supporting financial instrument “Accelerator Startup Sofia” which aims to facilitate access to finance for innovative and startup companies and social entrepreneurs in the Sofia Municipality. Applications are now open – from 15.12.2021 until 31.01.2022.
Accelerator Startup Sofia is a joint platform between the Municipal Guarantee Fund for SMEs (MGFSME), Invest Sofia and the “Europe” Programme by Sofia Municipality. Funding for the second edition of Accelerator Startup Sofia is worth BGN 100,000 provided by MGFSME.
The programme, whose pilot edition was approved by the Sofia Municipal Council in 2018, aims to promote accelerated access to finance for innovative and startup companies and social entrepreneurs in the Sofia Municipality by supporting them in developing and presenting proposals to potential investors and financial institutions. It also aims at increasing their capacity to negotiate for funding with the banking sector and encouraging them to develop and present innovative products and services with high added value.
The Programme will provide initial financial resources for starting or developing a product or a service, and in parallel or after this stage, the participants will be able to benefit from the guarantee programme of MGFSME. The experts from Invest Sofia will provide mentoring, training, contacts, shared office space during the implementation of projects, as well as the opportunity for the companies to present their projects to potential investors. The experience of the “Europe” Programme will be used to support NGO’s innovative and digital projects, as well as the expertise of the Sofia Development Association in support of entrepreneurship, innovation and digital technologies.
“With its 13 years of experience in supporting projects in Sofia, the “Europe” Programme is a respected and proven tool towards implementing the policies of Sofia Municipality. “In the context of the economic crisis caused by the Covid-19, the second edition of the Accelerator Startup Sofia Program will aim to achieve social and economic impact in the living conditions in the capital,” Ekaterina Yordanova, Chairman of the “Europe” Programme Council said.
On December 17, 2021 (Friday), at 12:30, Information Day on the application procedure under the Accelerator Startup Sofia Programme by Sofia Municipality will be held. The meeting will be held online through the Cisco Webex platform. Access link and password are listed below.
During the meeting, explanations will be made on the Guidelines for Applicants, the application form, the accompanying documents, the evaluation methodology. Q&A session is also part of the Agenda.
After the Information day, questions can be addressed only electronically by sending email through the contact form on the website of the “Europe” Programпе in the menu “Apply here / Questions” up to 5 days before the application deadline. All questions and answers will be published on the “Europe” Programme website in the “Apply here / Answers” menu.
All application documents and criteria are published on the website of the “Europe” Programпе.
December 17, 2021 (Friday), 12:30 p.m .:
Address (Meeting link): https://city-council-sofia.webex.com/city-council-sofia/j.php?MTID=m8cf78c670ef278a1ec4c842ffd7a72b1
Meeting number (Meeting number / access code): 2732 128 9999
Meeting password: S0f1 @ Accelerator