BALGARSKI GEOGRAFSKI PORTAL-GEOGRAF BG

Their core work

Balgarski Geografski Portal (GeografBG) is a Bulgarian NGO that organizes public science engagement events and activities, with a demonstrated focus on the European Researchers' Night initiative in Bulgaria. They bring researchers and general audiences together through hands-on science demonstrations, competitions, and participatory cultural events. Their work sits at the intersection of science communication and public outreach — translating research into accessible, engaging experiences for non-specialist audiences. Both of their H2020 projects were MSCA Coordination and Support Actions specifically structured around this public-engagement mission.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their first project, REFRESH (2018-2020), emphasized broad public engagement through culture, heritage, entrepreneurship, and hands-on competitions — a wide-net approach to making science appealing to diverse Bulgarian audiences. By FRESHER (2020-2021), the framing had narrowed and sharpened: the focus shifted toward formal science communication as a practice, MSCA researcher visibility, and inclusion — signaling a move from general public entertainment toward more intentional researcher-public dialogue. The trajectory suggests they are growing from event organizer to a more structured science communication actor within the MSCA ecosystem.

They are maturing from generalist public engagement toward specialist MSCA science communication roles, making them a relevant partner for future Researchers' Night or science-society projects targeting Bulgarian audiences.

How they like to work

GeografBG participates exclusively as a consortium partner — they have never coordinated an H2020 project — which positions them as a local delivery and engagement node rather than a project driver. With 21 unique partners across just 2 projects, they operated within reasonably large consortia, suggesting they are comfortable in multi-partner settings. Their consistent participation in sequential Researchers' Night projects (REFRESH → FRESHER) indicates they build on prior relationships rather than seeking entirely new networks each time.

GeografBG has worked with 21 unique consortium partners across 2 countries, which for a two-project portfolio suggests the consortia included a meaningful number of European partners beyond Bulgaria. Their network is rooted in the MSCA Researchers' Night community — a specific, recurring European network of science communication actors.

What sets them apart

GeografBG occupies a specific niche as one of the few Bulgarian NGOs with documented H2020 experience in MSCA science communication — organizations like this are scarce in Bulgaria, making them a practical local partner for any European consortium needing Bulgarian public engagement delivery. Their background running a geographic information portal also gives them digital communication infrastructure that many event-only NGOs lack. For consortium builders targeting Eastern European inclusion in Researchers' Night or science-society projects, they represent an accessible and already-vetted entry point.

Highlights from their portfolio

• REFRESH
  Their first H2020 project, establishing their credentials in the European Researchers' Night network with a broad interdisciplinary public engagement program spanning culture, heritage, and entrepreneurship.
• FRESHER
  A direct follow-on to REFRESH that introduced MSCA researcher inclusion and formal science communication framing, showing the organization's capacity to evolve within a recurring funding stream.