EWA Programme for the second time in Bulgaria

Within 5 months, programme participants receive personal mentoring and are included in a tailored training programme, through which they will be able to acquire the skills and knowledge for overcoming specific challenges in the Agrifood sector.

Matchmaking event

EWA Bulgaria 2022 Matchmaking event was organised in two days, on the 6^th and 7^th July in Varna Bulgaria.

During the first day, participants and mentors introduced themselves by short pitches and had the opportunity to get to know each other by “speed dating”- three minutes sessions between each mentor and mentee. After that both mentors and mentees rated their preferences for the matchmaking.

The programme on the second day continued with a training on Business canvas as a tool for structuring the business ideas.

The results and the mentor-mentees pairs were announced on the next day. The event ended with informal discussions and exchange of contacts and opportunities for further collaboration.

Mentees:

Antoniya Georgieva - Biogaria – The idea behind Biogaria is to develop a product, based on the utilization of biomass by algae. The created product will find application as bio fertilizer, which will regulate the processes of absorption of water and nutrients from plants.

Blazhka Trepetanova – Utilising the waste products from malz and beer in the production of high-quality food, rich in fibres and proteins. Start up is based on the idea of zero waste and low carbon foodprint throughout the value chain.

Desislava Stoitsova - The start-up idea is to present on the market a product "duck meat", organic product, grown without antibiotics, offered directly to the consumers from own store.

Djein Dimitrova – Foodobox - application that helps restaurants to sell food with approaching expiry date at discounted price. The idea is to help reduce food waste and at the same time provide consumers with high quality food at affordable Price.

Elena Simeonova – Farm "Zemia" that is a concept that combines the possibility of culinary and rural tourism. It offers direct contact with nature by getting acquainted with the way food is produced and at the same time provides access to clean and organic food.

Stefka Malcheva – A new business model for attracting people to visit apiaries and apitherapy houses. Resting in apitherapy houses helps against many diseases: diseases of the respiratory system (bronchitis, asthma), diseases of the nervous system, depressions, headaches, migraines. The bee microclimate improves the work of the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems and increases the body's immunity.

Nataliya Nikolova – Growing of Seedlings from rare plants, to be used in garden decorations and presents. Part of the profits will be set aside to organise and support initiatives as afforestation, building compost systems, information campaigns on bio-waste and its recovery.

Katya Parahuleva – The aim of the start up is to promote agriculture and farming to young people through organizing open days, trainings and information campaigns on topics related to bio and sustainable agriculture. The innovation is focused on presenting how to care for the land and cultivate crops in a sustainable way, without the use of fertilizers and pesticides.

Kristina Tsenova – Family Farm Tsenov is specialised in the production of bee and bee products, including bee polen, propolis, bio-cosmetics on the basis of bee products etc.

The start up idea is to widen the product portfolio with immunostimulator on the basis of bee products.

Slavena Rodinova – HotFarm is the first hot pepper farm in Bulgaria for growing hot peppers and producing 100% pure and natural products from them. The products are already known on the Bulgarian market. The start-up next goal is to scale-up and expand on international market.

Mentors:

• Prof. Mariya Stanimirova Ph.D – Assoc. Prof. Head of Department of Agriculture Economics,
• Certified Business Accelerator of action Coach.
• Dilian Popov – Education Director, Bulgarian Entrepreneurship Centre
• Mariya Hristova – RIS Policy Council Innovation and food
• Todorka Dimitrova – Director of Varna Economic Development Agency
• PhD Viktoria Nikolova – Manager of District Information Point - Varna
• Hristomir Hristov – Smart Varna Foundation
• PhD Leona Aslanova – CEO, Innovation Agency “Innovation Starter”
• Prof. Gergana Slavova-Stefanova – Lecturer at University of Economics – Varna
• Prof. Teodorina Turlakova PhD – Lecturer at University of Economics – Varna
• Assoc. Prof. Tatyana Georgieva PhD, University of Economics – Varna

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Next steps:

EWA Programme in Bulgaria continues with training webinars and group sessions between the mentors and the participants on topics like business planning, financial planning, marketing, etc. with a focus on agrifood and also specific topics like food safety and agrifood entrepreneurship process.

Two more EWA events will take place in Varna in the autumn – Master Class event for the participants will be organized in September together with a public event for the larger audience and The Pitching event at the end of the Programme, in November where all participants will pitch their ideas in a final contest and will compete for prizes up to 10 000 Euro to finance their business idea.

Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA) is a programme developed by EIT Food for a total of 110 talented female entrepreneurs from 11 countries with modest to moderate innovation rates (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain and Turkey) and is implemented in Bulgaria by Regional Agency for Entrepreneurship and Innovations – Varna (RAPIV).

More details are available on the website.

About RAPIV

RAPIV is a non- governmental non-profit organisation, carrying out its activities in public benefit, for stimulating regional economy, through the development of entrepreneurship and innovations. It has a long-year experience in rendering support services for entrepreneurs and SMEs as its mission is to stimulate the regional economy, through the development of entrepreneurship and innovations.

RAPIV provides its support services under 4 centres: Women Entrepreneurship Centre – Bulgaria run together with Varna Free University, Business Incubator - Varna, Marine Centre for Technology Transfer run together with the Naval Academy and Regional Investment Centre which ensure a full range of supporting services from establishment to business growth.