Funding Opportunities and Upcoming B2B Meetings
Enterprise Europe Network at the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce invites you at several virtual bilateral meetings. The formats allow online B2B sessions with international partners on a preliminary schedule and a specially adapted platform with an individual virtual room for each meeting.
The registration for the virtual B2B meetings during Torino Fashion Week Digital 2020 is open. The event is suitable for fashion designers and stylists; new clothing and accessories brands, start-ups, small and medium enterprises, textile and fashion accessories manufacturers, retailers, distributors, sales agents, and fashion stores, e-commerce platforms, companies with ICT and technology solutions for the fashion industry, PR agencies, specialized fashion consultants, agents, universities and research institutes in the field of technology in the fashion and textile sector. Registrations are open until 30 September. Find more information here.
Another forthcoming event is Innovation Village 2020 – bilateral international meetings between representatives of companies, universities, research centers, and stakeholders on the issues of sustainable development, circular economy, and smart energy, to identify opportunities for technological and trade partnerships, launch cooperation and research projects, developing business opportunities in new markets. Innovation Village 2020 will be held from 7 to 8 October 2020, and registrations are open until 2 October. Find more information and a registration link here.
Registration is now open for virtual the meetings during the Istanbul Fintech Week, where entrepreneurs, investors, professionals, CEOs from around the world gather to discuss current and leading topics in financial innovation and technology (Fintech). The deadline for registration and scheduling of meetings is 14 October 2020. Find more information and the ways to fill in your participant profile here.
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Information about current business events in all sectors can be found on the newsletter page on the website of the Enterprise Europe Network Bulgaria. The business meetings with dates in September and October are published in the latest bulletin of the organization here.
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Fund of Funds (FoF) will invest a total of over BGN 660 thousand in start-ups to expand the current markets and the entering of new markets of projects in the field of new technologies and the introduction of innovations: industrial 3D printing, modern financial technologies, outsourcing platforms, software products. The investments will be made through the “Innovation Capital” fund manager.
The Seed/Acceleration and Start-up Fund are FoF’s instruments for equity and quasi-equity investments designed to support the setting up and development of sustainable business models and develop the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Bulgaria. The OPIC funds made available for the financial instrument amount to EUR 51.3 million (BGN 100.3 milion). Fund managers top up public resources with private capital.
Two more Acceleration and Start-up Funds are currently operating on the market – Innovation Capital and New Vision 3, and the investment period of the third fund, managed by Vitosha Venture Partners, will start soon. Each innovative idea is eligible to apply to one of these funds and receive financing ranging from EUR 15 000 and EUR 1 million.
The FoF’s Venture Capital Fund and Morningside Hill Fund Manager also provide funding opportunities. Business ventures with growth potential can receive funding of between EUR 750,000 and EUR 3.5 million.
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We remind you that the project proposals for receiving grants from the National Innovation Fund under the scheme “Supporting the research and development activities of the enterprises and organizations for scientific research and dissemination of knowledge” will be accepted by 17 September. The aid amounts to up to BGN 500,000 per project, and those interested can submit their documents electronically with an electronic signature through the following website,
The current session will support Bulgarian companies with a budget of over BGN 5 million. The Fund’s primary goal is to promote research and development to increase domestic business competitiveness by developing new or improved products, processes, or services.
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The National Science Fund (NSF) has announced an invitation for applications in three new calls:
- “A call under the National Science Program Peter Beron. Science and Innovation with Europe. “- 2020 with a total budget of BGN 880,000;
- “Competition for funding of fundamental scientific research – 2020” with a total budget of BGN 10 million;
- “Competition for funding of fundamental research of young scientists and postdoctoral students – 2020.” with a total budget of BGN 800,000
Application guidelines for the three calls, as well as all announced open calls of the NSF, can be found here.
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The procedure for the Voucher scheme for providing ICT services to SMEs has been launched.
The voucher scheme of the Executive Agency for Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises will support 450 enterprises with a budget of over BGN 9 million (BGN 9,180,000), providing two types of vouchers for SMEs:
Vouchers type 1: vouchers for web-based ICT services – platforms, websites, and / or mobile applications. The vouchers will have a fixed nominal value of BGN 5,000 without VAT and BGN 6,000 with VAT.
Type 2 vouchers: vouchers for ICT services for digital marketing, process optimization and / or cyber and information security. The vouchers will have a fixed nominal value of BGN 20,000 without VAT and BGN 24,000 with VAT.
Find full information about the necessary documents and the conditions for application here.
