Open Calls and Business Opportunities
The ongoing Women TechEU is a brand new initiative of the European Union offering funding and mentoring to female founders of tech start-ups. The scheme aims to offer first-class mentoring to female-led start-ups in the earliest and riskiest stage of their development, providing them with an individual grant of EUR 75 000 and coaching by the EIC Business Acceleration Services (BAS), under the new “Women Leadership Programme”.
Up to 50 tech companies will be funded under the first Women TechEU pilot call. Female founders of deep tech start-ups who hold a top management position (CEO, CTO or equivalent) in the company can apply until 10 November 2021. The company must be registered and established in an EU Member State or Associated Country for at least six months at the time of the submission. Submissions are open on the initiative’s website.
Women TechEU is part of a series of measures to boost female innovators and female entrepreneurship. Across Europe only 15% of innovative start-ups are founded or co-founded by women and raise less venture capital. Around 5% of venture capital goes to mixed teams and only 2% to all-female teams.
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With the support of the Embassy of Japan in Bulgaria, the Japan-Bulgaria Business Association (JBBA) has already been established and operates in Bulgaria to promote and support bilateral business relations between the countries. Japanese companies have a strong presence in Bulgaria in industries such as automotive, information technology, pharmaceuticals, food, tobacco products and more. According to official data, in 2020 trade with Japan amounted to USD 225.2 million, an increase in both imports and exports.
The priority of the organization is to provide information on the investment climate and the legislative framework, practical support in establishing Japanese companies in our country, and promoting bilateral trade and cooperation to establish business partnerships. More information about the Association and the support it directs to business is available on the JBBA website.
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Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce invites companies to participate in virtual bilateral meetings in the framework of Smart Manufacturing Matchmaking 2021, organized by SPIN – an Italian consortium and partner of EEN. The event will take place between 17 – 19 November and is suitable for companies in the field of smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0. It will focus on Agriculture 4.0, artificial intelligence and machine learning for industrial applications, virtual, augmented and mixed reality applications in industry, autonomous production, big data analysis, cybersecurity and digital twins.
The registered participants and companies by country can already be seen in the even’t platform. The deadline for registration and scheduling of meetings is 12 November. The application for participation must indicate the local support center – for Bulgaria this is the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce. You will find all the necessary links and clear guidelines for applications to participate in the event on the website of the Chamber.
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Until November 18, start-up companies can submit project proposals on the identified focus topics Green Industry Innovation and Welfare Technology under the Business Development, Innovation and SMEs Programme in Bulgaria, through the Norway Grants (Innovation Norway). The total funding is € 2,000,000 with support between € 5,000 and € 80,000 for each approved project. The official invitation in Bulgarian and English, as well as the application link are available on the Program website here.
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Small and medium-sized enterprises in the field of recycling, machine building, technological control and production, chemical industry, biotechnology, production of construction materials, IT companies with developments for control and management of the waste cycle, and other economic activities are eligible to join the Bulgarian trade mission, organized by the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA) during the specialized exhibition Ecomondo 2021 in Rimini, Italy. The fair will take place between 26-29 October and is one of the largest networking platforms for innovation and business partnerships in the field of technical capabilities, systems, equipment, and services to solve complex and specific environmental problems. Documents for participation are accepted until 3 September, 2021 with the specified requirements and contacts for assistance from BSMEPA here.
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The StartupCity Ostrava initiative has announced its first competition for startups worldwide with solutions in three areas in technologies for a better environment: urban gardening, disease prevention, and energy efficiency in buildings. Companies can also apply with developments that combine the above topics as long as they have a level of technological readiness TRL 5 or higher. Approved companies will gain access to MSIC Ostrava – Technology park, six months of free access to shared workspace, mentoring, and access to a network of partners in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Applications are accepted until 31 August in the order indicated here.
