CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY OF STARA ZAGORA BULGARIA*

Their core work

CCI Stara Zagora is a regional chamber of commerce that helps Bulgarian SMEs access innovation services, financing, and international markets. As part of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), they provide hands-on support to small businesses seeking to improve their innovation management, find investment, and connect with European partners. Their work focuses on bridging the gap between local SMEs and EU-level opportunities, particularly in the energy sector.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015-2018), CCI Stara Zagora focused on foundational innovation support — helping SMEs understand and adopt basic innovation management practices. From 2019 onward, their scope broadened significantly to include access to finance, business acceleration, investment readiness, and internationalisation, reflecting a shift from awareness-building to concrete business development services. The addition of EIC (European Innovation Council) in their most recent project signals growing involvement in helping SMEs navigate EU funding instruments directly.

Moving from general innovation awareness toward hands-on business acceleration and international market access for SMEs, suggesting they are becoming a more comprehensive one-stop support hub.

How they like to work

CCI Stara Zagora always participates as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as a regional EEN node delivering local services within a nationally coordinated framework. With 11 partners across 4 projects and collaboration limited to 1 country, they operate within a stable Bulgarian EEN consortium, likely working alongside the same national partners across successive project cycles. This makes them a reliable, low-risk partner for anyone needing SME outreach and support services in the Stara Zagora region of Bulgaria.

Their network of 11 partners is concentrated within Bulgaria, reflecting the nationally structured EEN consortium model. They are a regional delivery node rather than an internationally networked organization.

What sets them apart

As a regional chamber of commerce, CCI Stara Zagora offers direct access to the local SME ecosystem in south-central Bulgaria — a manufacturing and energy-relevant region. For EU project coordinators needing a Bulgarian partner to disseminate results to SMEs or recruit companies for pilot testing, a chamber of commerce provides built-in business networks that universities and research institutes cannot match. Their consistent EEN participation since 2015 demonstrates institutional continuity and familiarity with EU project requirements.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EEN InnoSupp BG-4
  Most recent project (2020-2021) with the broadest scope, adding internationalisation and EIC support — shows the organization at its most mature.
• EEN InnoSupp BG-3
  First project to include access to finance, business acceleration, and investment, marking a significant expansion beyond basic innovation support.