Funding Opportunities and Upcoming B2B Events

The Bulgarian VC fund Eleven Ventures launched Eleven Alpha – a three-month program for startup companies from South-Eastern Europe. Applications are open until November 19 for young organisations with daring ideas, a prototype or an active on the market product or service. Approved ideas will receive a €300,000 investment for growth against a 10% equity stake, as well as a mentoring programme between January and April 2023. Eleven Ventures guarantees an easy and fast application process and has made the application procedure as clear as possible, including by publishing the preliminary term sheet directly on the programme website at: https://www.11.vc/alpha/

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SMEs in the manufacturing industry can apply for the accelerator program by the ADMA TranS4MErs consortium – a €5.6 million project funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program involving 38 partners from the 27 Member States. The programme will provide services, tools and funding to approved entreprises for their digital transformation. SMEs with manufacturing activities are invited to apply for Innovation Vouchers, which will provide them with one-on-one support from a certified Trans4MEr expert who will help them develop a personalized plan for transformation. The call for applications is open until 14 December 2022. See details here.

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On November 29 and 30, 2022, the Kocaeli Convention Center in Izmit, Turkey will host the Match4Industry event, which provides an opportunity for bilateral business meetings for companies in the sectors: automotive industry (suppliers), metals and machinery, plastics and rubber, tires, chemicals (automotive paints and coatings, automotive care products), building materials, energy, environment, electrical equipment and electronics, and IT technology. The deadline for registration is November 22. Details, expense coverage, and all other necessary instructions can be found here.

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An event with B2B meetings is also coming up on November 17 and 18, 2022, when the Smart Manufacturing Matchmaking 2022 forum will be held virtually. The event is suitable for companies and research centers with projects in Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing Solutions. Participation is free. Click here for more information and registration link.

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The Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA) organizes the participation of Bulgarian companies in a trade mission with a visit to the international exhibition Cosme Tokyo 2023. The event is suitable for companies from the cosmetics and perfumery sector, manufacturers of essential oils, cosmetic products producers, etc. and includes B2B meetings with distributors, a rich program of symposia and conferences, practical sessions on the latest trends in the industry, and more. Criteria about expense coverage eligibility and further details are available here.

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The Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA) provides consultations for companies that plan radical technological innovations and are looking for investment for their implementation, as well as expert assistance for assessment and developing a business model. Currently, such an opportunity is available under the InvestHorizon program of the European Commission. Both young companies and enterprises with stable market presence can apply. More about the program and contact information with BIA is available here.

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The Bulgarian Development Bank launched its Business Booster digital platform to help small and medium-sized businesses start and grow. The project provides online financing of up to BGN 50,000, a free Business Academy with manuals, video lessons, and an online library with all necessary blanks and documents needed to register and start a business, as well as a Business Plan Wizard tool to help entrepreneurs build their first business plan. Link to the platform: https://businessbooster.bg/a/browser/publicPortal