The fourth consecutive edition of the BASE Academy for Startup Entrepreneurs, a joint project of the America for Bulgaria Foundation and the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria, ended.

On July 27, 2022, a competition for the best entrepreneurial projects, part of the Academy for Startup Entrepreneurs BASE, was held in the Ritual Hall of the Gabrovo Municipal Council. Out of the 19 participants who successfully graduated from the Academy, 18 finalized projects were presented.

The jury included:

• Nadia Zaharieva – Director of the Business, Entrepreneurship and Technologies Directorate of the America for Bulgaria Foundation – Chairman

And members:

• Nevena Mineva – Deputy Mayor, Gabrovo Municipality
• Alexander Grozdanov – Founder and Owner of Dextrophobia Rooms
• Prof. Maria Ilcheva – University of Veliko Tarnovo
• Albena Dimitrova – Owner of Faktor advertising agency, a member of CWBB

It was extremely difficult for the jury members to make a final decision, as all the projects were at a very high level.

The projects were an extraordinary palette of diverse activities: Bakeries, making sweet delights, an autumn festival, ice cream on wheels, 3D -design of mechanical engineering and furniture industry, a summer theater, design and machine embroidery, fun math in nature, online training program for flat feet, shops for forestry and garden equipment, floral water with German chamomile, many souvenirs, accessories, fishing bait and many more.

To the prize fund provided by the America Foundation for Bulgaria and the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria consisting of BGN 10,000, the Municipality of Gabrovo contributed a cash prize of BGN 1,500, which was awarded to Veselina Antova for her boutique confectionery project. The award was given by the Deputy Mayor of the Municipal Council – Nevena Mineva.

The Gabrovo Public Donor Fund presented two prizes of BGN 500 each:

• Alexander Georgiev – for the project Girls with stitches
• Desislava Yordanova – for the Summer Theater project for 2022-2023

The awards were given by the founder of the Fund, Galina Bankovska.

The jury members gave 3 encouraging prizes:

• Participation in the Leadership Academy of the CWBB in 2022-2023 for Kristina Sidorova for the her Ice Cream on Wheels project
• Katya Dimova – for the “Sruchko” workshop project – BGN 1,000
• Milena Sarafova – for the Design Plus project –1,000 BGN

The jury was unanimous in the ranking:

First place – Vladimir Valchev for the Valdemar baits project – the bait carrying strong fishing emotions – a prize of BGN 4,000

Second place – Plamen Venkov for the SELFEST project – expansion, souvenirs, accessories, weddings – BGN 2,500

Third place – Dimka Lazarova for Dimi’s Floral Water project – BGN 1,500

The participants were congratulated by:

• Nevena Mineva – Deputy Mayor of Gabrovo
• Ralitsa Manolova – District Manager
• Prof. Zhelezaraov – Dean of TU Gabrovo
• Galina Bankovska – Founder of the Public Donor Fund

Participants from the previous editions of BASE in Veliko Tarnovo, Vratsa and Lovech joined the ceremony.

The good mood of the graduates and laureates was ensured by Presiyana Hristova from the children’s folklore formation, “Gabrovski Voices,” who won first place in the “Authenticity and Modernity” competition, Omya Mateeva, a silver and bronze awards laureate in The Sound of Time.

The performance of Alexandra Studzinskaya from the National Academic Ukrainian Theater, from Mykolaiv who today works as a music teacher in Gabrovo, of “Cloud, White Cloud” provoked strong emotions,