About BSMEPA

THE MISSION OF BSMEPA

The Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA) subordinates its activities to Bulgaria being a country with a high quality of life, based on sustainable socio-economic development in the process of comprehensive integration into the European Union, uniting the efforts of the Government and social partners.

The activities carried out by the Agency are carried out with the help of a number of measures aimed at maintaining sustainable economic growth, increasing the competitiveness of Bulgarian enterprises and promoting their development, stimulating the entrepreneurial spirit and supporting technological and innovative productions, developing public-private partnerships.

GOALS AND PRIORITIES

• Supporting small and medium-sized businesses in Bulgaria. The aim is to increase the competitiveness of small businesses by supporting start-up and viable small and medium-sized enterprises in their efforts to be innovative, ecological and export-oriented, creating favorable conditions for their development by improving their access to financing; entrepreneurship is encouraged and entrepreneurial skills are increased; simplifying the administrative and regulatory requirements, especially for small and micro-enterprises.
• Promotion of family business in Bulgaria, which provides numerous jobs. In Europe, family businesses employ over 5 million people, the turnover is over 1 trillion EUR per year, according to data from the European Federation of Family Businesses (GEEF). Family businesses account for 9% of the EU’s gross domestic product. Data from a study by Ernst & Young in Germany, Italy, France and Spain shows that more than 50% of all companies are family-owned. In the Scandinavian countries, the percentage is over 70. In order for Bulgarian companies to be competitive not only on the local market, but also abroad, it is extremely important to what extent they will be able to pass the baton to the next generation.
• Encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit among the young population and students – increasing the quality of vocational schools and implementing pilot projects for the introduction of the dual system;
• Increasing investments in Bulgarian small and medium-sized enterprises
• Stimulating innovation and new technologies in business
• Promotion of the digital economy in Bulgaria – development and implementation of innovative Internet platforms and software solutions directly related to the production and market realization of products;
• Introduction of electronic services for business;
• Improving cooperation with national, local, foreign and international governmental and non-governmental organizations carrying out activities for the development and promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises;
• Improving the export positions of small and medium-sized enterprises and promoting international cooperation between enterprises
• Support of SMEs in regions with low employment and a low concentration of enterprises from the sectors of high and medium technology production and knowledge-intensive services

STRATEGIC GOALS OF BSMEPA

The vision of BSMEPA directly corresponds with the vision of the Ministry of Innovation and Growth to improve the competitiveness of Bulgarian enterprises. It is aimed at achieving lasting economic growth, including through effective absorption of funds from European funds and improvement of the business climate. These priorities are directly related to the creation of higher levels of added value, respectively real GDP growth in the conditions of increasing competition, successful integration of business into the Single European Market.

BSMEPA is an institution responsible for carrying out and implementing the government’s policy in the field of export promotion as a key factor for economic growth. In this regard, the emphasis is placed on the implementation of an integrated package of measures to support exporters, stimulate investments in export-oriented activities and improve the external financial position of the country. For the implementation of these activities, the state of the balance of payments is important, as well as the achievement of lasting economic growth based on exports as a growth factor.

BSMEPA supports the implementation of state policy to achieve the following strategic goals:

– SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND COMPETITIVENESS

– EFFECTIVE FOREIGN ECONOMIC COOPERATION

The implementation of the strategic goals includes specific measures financed from the budget of BSMEPA.

OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES OF BSMEPA 

1. Improvement and refinement of information services for small and medium-sized enterprises;

2. Improving the conditions for carrying out economic activity in enterprises by researching and analyzing the specific factors affecting it;

3. Encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit and skills of small and medium enterprises through trainings and seminars;

4. Increasing investments in Bulgarian SMEs by foreign and local individuals and legal entities;

5. Stimulating market-oriented scientific and applied research intended for industry and creating conditions for attracting private capital to finance innovations;

6. Stimulation of market cooperation and development of clusters;

7. Improving cooperation with local, foreign and international governmental and non-governmental organizations carrying out activities for the development and promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises;

8. Improving the export positions of small and medium-sized enterprises and promoting international cooperation between enterprises;

9. Increasing the skills and competences of the employees of BSMEPA;

10. Increasing the popularity of the activities of BSMEPA, the services provided by the agency and the implemented projects;