On 24th of February 2016 in Hall Mati D, Sofia, took place the award ceremony of the winners of the fifth annual competition for the Best Business Plan of NGO. It was held within the Program for social entrepreneurship put into effect by the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law and UniCredit Foundation wit the support of America for Bulgaria Foundation.

"For us, this program is very important because it stimulates people to seek effective solutions to their problems. We believe that if we support an organization to run business activity, related to its mission this will lead to a long-term solution to the problem targeted by the activity.", said Luben Panov, Director of Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law.

Maurizio Carrara, president of the UniCredit Foundation explained the reasons why the Foundation supports the Program: "I believe that the strategic support for growth of social enterprises in their early stages has an intrinsic importance to the development of economics with not-for-profit purpose today and also in the near future. This is one of the pillars of our business - in 2015 the UniCredit Foundation supported 30 different programs which were incubators in 13 different countries across Europe, thereby directly supported over 280 social enterprises."


The jury this year was composed of:

Ralitsa Krasteva (Siemens)
Georgi Breskovski (Microfond)
Daniel Chipev (BNT)
Belizar Marinov (Eleven)
Desislava Taliokova (America for Bulgaria)
Krum Alexiev (UniCredit Bulbank)
Radomir Milanov (SAP)
Anna Cravero (UniCredit Foundation)

Two organizations were awarded by the jury with first prizes, and each of them received a check for 12,000 BGN to implement their business ideas. The award for "The Best Business Idea" received the "Listen up" Foundation from Sofia. It was presented by Mr. Levon Hampartzoumian, CEO of UniCredit Bulbank. The idea of "Listen up" Foundation was about implementation of a system of automatic translation to deaf people.

The award for "The Biggest Social Effect" went to the "Altruist" Association from Varna. The award was presented by Mr. Lenko Lenkov, Program Director of "Civil society and democratic institutions" of the America for Bulgaria Foundation. The "Altruists" Association won the sympathy of the jury with the idea for an industrial shop for concrete products in the Varna prison.

The jury also provided an additional prize in amount of 6 000 BGN. It was presented by Mrs. Ralitsa Krasteva from Siemens and Chairperson of the Board of Women in the Business to the "Helping Hand" Foundation, Dobrich.  The prize was about their idea to develop services for children and adults using Montessori system.


Special awards which have been determined within the Program "Your Choice, Your Project" by voting among the employees of UniCredit Bulbank were given to the last year finalists in the Program. They were awarded by the President of UniCredit Foundation, Milan, Mr. Maurizio Carrara to:


- Workshop for dolls and souvenirs of the "Cancer Patients and Friends" Association, city of Burgas. They received the first special award in amount of 5,000 BGN. The working process in the workshop is used as a method of coping with the stress and negative emotions of women suffering from cancer.

- Workshop for ceramics and candles of the Concordia - Bulgaria Foundation, Sofia, which received 3,000 BGN. The workshop provides an environment in which disadvantaged adolescents coming from dysfunctional families or directly from the street, develop working habits and occupational biography for presentation to future employers.

- Hrankoop Cooperative, Sofia, which received the third prize of 2,000 BGN. Their idea was to create a subscription farmer baskets.




The Program aims to encourage NGOs to start a business that helps fulfillment of their mission. The Program includes training for creating capacity for the development of social entrepreneurship, preparation of business plans for starting a successful business and in the end - a competition for the best business plan.

In 2016 joined a record number of civic organizations - 60 of which were selected for participation 25. Of these 25, 7 continued in the final race - "Flower" Theater, "Altruist" Association, Organization of the Bulgarian Scouts, Ideas Factory Foundation, "Helping Hand" Foundation", "Listen up" Foundation, Center for creative learning.

For the first time within the event was held a bazaar of social enterprises that have received support from the Program in previous years. 12 organizations had the opportunity to present themselves and their products with a cause to the representatives of business and civil sector.


Further information about the organizations participating in the bazaar which were part of the Program:


• "HOPe SOAP" workshop to the Foundation for social change and inclusion produces boutique soaps. The mission of the workshop is to support disadvantaged young people to develop work skills and find work.

• "Hold me" art workshop to the "Hold me" Association, Sofia, produces art objects and books. The mission of the workshop is to reveal the creative potential of children and adolescents from nursing homes and thus to overcome discriminatory attitude towards them.

• "Betel" Foundation, Sofia, manages workshop for restoration of old furniture. Its mission is to help people fight various types of addictions.

• In the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds produce badges and qualifiers for birds to support both conservation center that they govern - Poda and Eastern Rhodopes.

• "Concordia" workshop of the Concordia - Bulgaria Foundation, Sofia, manufactures ceramics and decorative candles. The mission is to encourage the employment of people from vulnerable groups.

• "Cancer Patients and Friends" Association, Burgas, has a studio for dolls and souvenirs, which is used as a method of coping with stress and negative emotions of women suffering from cancer.

• Transformers Association, Sofia, produces alphabetic bike-holders, systems for urban and garden furniture, cabinet for storage and charging electronic devices. Revenues from social enterprise are used to improve the urban environment.

• Martenitsi, souvenirs and glycerin soaps produce young people with intellectual disabilities in the "Maria`s World" Foundation, Sofia. The mission of the foundation is to help young people to have a successful professional realization, including through programs for supported employment and mediation within the employment.

• Hrankoop Cooperative, Sofia, presented to the bazaar baskets with various farm products.

• Social Enterprise "Bee" of the "New Way" Association, village of Hayredin, produces honey in various jars. Its mission is to support the employment of vulnerable groups in one of the municipalities with the highest unemployment rates in Bulgaria.

• "Here-There" Association presented to the bazaar stories about successful Bulgarians abroad gathered in the book "Career in Bulgaria. Why not?".

• "Listen up" Foundation works to support full integration into society of deaf people. They sold to the bazaar martenitsi made by their supporters.