Expanding the Connection: BBCC Crosses the Bridge with BEX Acquisition

British Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce (BBCC) Acquires Bulgarian Expansion Bridge (BEX) and Starts a New Chapter in Business Support

The British Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce has the honor to officially announce the acquisition of the activities and assets of the organization Bulgarian Expansion Bridge (BEX). Starting from the current month, the initiative continues its mission under the new name BBCC Expansion Bridge.

This strategic step unites the expertise of the Chamber with the innovative spirit of BEX to offer companies an even larger-scale platform for growth. BEX was founded in 2023 by BBCC and Eleven with the support of the Bulgarian Embassy in London, the British Embassy in Sofia, as well as business representatives and public organizations with the common mission to assist Bulgarian companies to grow abroad, starting from the United Kingdom.

BBCC Expansion Bridge will build upon the previous successes of the organization, expanding the scope of its programs and partnerships, with a focus on creating even more sustainable links between the business ecosystems in Bulgaria and the United Kingdom.

“With the transformation of BEX into a part of BBCC, we thank the board of directors and the former executive director Georgios Kolovos for the solid foundation laid and for the trust placed in us. Our commitment is to be the most direct and effective bridge for companies seeking international expansion.” — said Barry Brand, Chairman of BBCC.

BBCC Expansion Bridge will continue to develop in close cooperation with the British Embassy in Sofia and the Bulgarian Embassy in London. These partnerships remain a foundation in the Chamber’s strategy for ensuring institutional stability and access to strategic markets.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to build upon the portfolio of trade missions, educational initiatives, and individual consultations on which BBCC has been working actively over the last 10 years. We are glad that we have the full support of BEX’s partners and we cannot wait to present new opportunities for companies to grow on the British market and from there in the whole world,” — said Elena Yordanova, Deputy Executive Director and leader of trade activities of BBCC.


The official calendar of BBCC Expansion Bridge starts with an ambitious program aimed at innovation and security. The first key initiatives are:

Cybersecurity Bootcamp – An intensive program for companies that want to step onto the global market and meet the highest international standards.
Application: Closed
Link: Cybersecurity Bootcamp 2026

Delegation to London Tech Week 2026 – BBCC Expansion Bridge invites Bulgarian technological leaders to join the official delegation to one of the most significant technological events in the world. The program offers exclusive VIP access and unique opportunities for networking in London.
Application: Open for VIP delegates.
Link: London Tech Week 2026 – VIP Delegate Applications

Trade mission for companies in the Logistics and Transport sector – At the end of September, we invite companies from the sphere of logistics and transport to a thematic trade mission to the cities of Hull and Liverpool. For more information, you can contact the Chamber.

Invest in Bulgaria Forum – An annual investment forum that promotes Bulgaria as a business destination for British companies. This year the forum will take place on September 23, in central London. In case of interest for participation, companies can contact the Chamber.

The announcement of more new projects and specialized trainings is forthcoming. We invite all interested parties to follow the official channels of BBCC for up-to-date information.

Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko is thrilled to announce that it’s officially reopening for a summer season full of excitement on 22 May 2026. While winter has its charms, summer in Bansko remains the best-kept secret. This season, find your perfect rhythm with Kempinski’s signature summer collection of experiences:

• Yoga & wellness, to fully immerse into your senses
• Vibrant afternoons with paella, sangria & live DJ tunes
• Unleashing creativity with painting & a glass of premium wine
• Unlimited access to the award-winning spa sanctuary, Kempinski The Spa

For more information, please contact Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko at +359 749 88888 or reservations.grandarena@kempinski.com

Guests who book directly with Kitchen59 are rewarded with a complimentary “Book Directly – Get a Free Perk” goodie bag, adding extra value to their stay.

The goodie bag includes a curated selection of exclusive partner discounts, special offers, and product samples, reflecting Kitchen59’s strong connection to local brands and its community-driven hospitality concept. This initiative is designed to enhance the guest experience beyond accommodation and encourage direct engagement with the hotel and its partners.

Kitchen59 is a 4-star lifestyle business and leisure hotel in Sofia, known for its contemporary design, high service standards, and creative atmosphere, making it a distinctive choice for business, leisure, and bleisure travellers alike.Direct bookings: https://kitchen59.bg

Neterra LZ1KRN Amateur Radio Club is organizing a special award activity for Giro d’Italia 2026

From May 8 to May 10, 2026, Bulgaria became part of the spirit of Giro d’Italia!

Radio amateurs from around the world are invited to join the special HF amateur radio activity LZ1GIRO, organized by radio club LZ1KRN.

To celebrate the passage of Giro d’Italia along the route Nessebar – Burgas – Veliko Tarnovo – Sofia, Bulgarian HAM operators are organizing a special HF award activity taking place from May 8 to June 30, 2026.
All participants who make connections with LZ1GIRO will receive a free electronic award certificate.

Requirements

• Allowed bands: 80m, 40m, 20m, 15m, 10m
• Allowed modes: SSB, FT8, FT4
• Main diploma: “Stage Finisher”
  To obtain the diploma, 3 QSOs with LZ1GIRO on 3 different HF bands are required.
  Example: 40m SSB, 20m FT8, 10m SSB

Special Endorsements

• “Maglia Rosa”QSO on all 5 HF bands
• “Mountain Stage”3 QSOs on 3 different days
• “Sprint Stage”3 QSOs within 6 hours
• “Italian Breakaway”5 SSB QSOs only
• “Digital Rider”5 FT8/FT4 QSOs only

General Rules

• Only QSOs on different HF bands count for the main award.
• Repeated QSOs on the same band may be used for endorsement categories.
• All stations worldwide may participate
• Use of DX Cluster is allowed
• The award is issued free of charge in electronic PDF format

Award Application

Please submit to lz1krn@neterra.net :

• ADIF log
• Cabrillo log
• or a screenshot from your logging softwarе
  
  Organizer: LZ1KRN – Bulgaria

Find more information here.

• Two fifths of firms (41%) are now worried about their business rates, up from 34% at the end of last year (Q4 2025).  
• Concern is highest in the hospitality (65%) and retail (55%) sectors with manufacturing (48%) and logistics (48%) close behind.  
• The BCC’s research, conducted before the impact of the Iran War, shows half of all firms (49%) plan to put up prices due to rising costs.  

The BCC is calling on the Government to grab the chance to fix the UK’s broken business rates system in its legislative agenda for the King’s Speech.  

It is raising the alarm as anxiety about business rates rose to 41% in its Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) for Q1 2026.  

This is the highest level since the BCC started asking the question in the Q2 QES of 2017, the lowest level was 22% in Q2 2022. 

Companies cite cost pressure from business rates as a key reason for increasing prices and delaying expansion of their premises.  

While the Government made some concessions on business rates for pubs and live music venues earlier this year, BCC research shows the worry being felt goes much wider.  

The hospitality, retail, manufacturing and logistics sector face the highest levels of concern, but business size is also a factor, with anxiety over rates highest for firms with 10 to 49 employees (51%).  

In a BCC survey from February 2025, 23% of respondents said that business rates had a direct impact on their prices.   

Kate Shoesmith, Director of Policy and Insights at the BCC, said:  

“Reforming business rates was a key manifesto pledge of the government, but it has only tinkered around the edges. 

“Yet our research shows the alarm bells were ringing more loudly even before cost pressures went into overdrive due to the Middle East conflict.   

“But business rates are a factor which the government has full control over and there are steps it can take to change the way the system works, without damaging the revenue raised.  

“The government must deliver the more ambitious root and branch reform of the whole system that it promised.  

“As first steps, it should mitigate the steep jumps in bills across all sectors caused by the 2026 revaluation and introduce a single flat rate multiplier.  

“This shift should then jumpstart a more rigorous consultation with business on how to fully reform what is a complex and rigid system. 

“They are ready to contribute innovative thinking on change without costing the Exchequer. There are other tax mechanisms that can meet the goal of widening the tax base to allow for a lower multiplier.” 

Source: British Chambers of Commerce

On 30 April we had the pleasure of co-hosting a fantastic “Open Doors” event with Konica Minolta Bulgaria and the German-Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Bulgarien).

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at the Konica Minolta facilities! It was an insightful afternoon focused on how AI-driven surveillance and intelligent technology are no longer just concepts, but essential tools for modern manufacturing and logistics.

Key Highlights:

🔹 Guided Tour & Live Showcase: We saw firsthand how AI-powered video security and thermal imaging are revolutionizing fire prevention and operational safety.

🔹 Smart Solutions: From automated monitoring to streamlined employee time attendance, the integration of digital transformation into industrial sites is driving unprecedented efficiency.

🔹 Cross-Chamber Networking: The best ideas happen when communities collide. It was great to see the British, German, and Bulgarian business communities exchanging insights and building new partnerships.

Kitchen59, a 4-star lifestyle business and leisure hotel in Sofia, is now offering BBCC members 10% off corporate stays.

Conveniently located on Tsar Boris III Boulevard, close to public transport and the city centre, Kitchen59 is designed for modern business and bleisure travellers who value comfort, connectivity, and a contemporary atmosphere.

The hotel combines stylish accommodation with a strong focus on service quality, community, and experience, and is highly rated for its design, comfort, and overall guest satisfaction.

Exclusive for BBCC Members -10% discount on corporate stays

Website: https://kitchen59.bg

BBCC encourages members to take advantage of this exclusive offer when travelling to Sofia.

At ADOR Restaurant, the weekly business lunch menu is designed to complement the rhythm of your day – whether it’s a working meeting or a relaxed lunch with friends.

The menu is updated every week to offer a selection of fresh flavours and carefully curated combinations. A small change that makes every lunch feel different. Prepared with attention to detail, served with ease. 

Monday – Friday | 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
ADOR, InterContinental Sofia

For reservations:
+359 87 734 0000
ador@ihg.com

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is urging Government to prioritise the UK’s economic security, after 10 years of geopolitical shocks have repeatedly damaged growth. 

Businesses in the UK have been left permanently bruised by the Pandemic, Brexit, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, supply chain chaos and US tariffs.  

The BCC’s new report, Delivering Growth: Resilient Global Supply Chains, sets out urgent steps needed to secure vital manufacturing inputs and stop British competitiveness declining in an increasingly unstable world. 

It says the Prime Minister must take cross-government responsibility for protecting the UK economy from external crises after years of neglect by successive governments. 

Among the actions it is calling for are: 

• The creation of a ‘trade bazooka’ to allow the UK to deter economic coercion, by responding decisively to hostile trade actions. 
• Taking a robust approach to the EU’s Made In Europe agenda to guarantee the role of UK businesses in wider European supply chains. 
• Making the UK’s national security a defining priority for the economy over the next decade and involving more British businesses in the defence sector. 

The report argues that keeping the UK’s position as a major trading nation depends on secure access to key inputs such as energy, steel, semiconductors and growth minerals. Demand for some materials is set to rise massively over the next decade, and domestic production cannot meet future needs. 

More than 75% of UK manufacturing exports begin with imports, underlining how exposed businesses are to disruption in global supply chains. The UK is also a highly trade‑intensive economy, with imports and exports together accounting for over 60% of GDP. 

But demand pressures are rising rapidly. By 2035, UK requirements for critical minerals are forecast to increase sharply, driven by growth in electric vehicles, clean energy and advanced manufacturing. These include a rise of over 13,000% in lithium demand and a 1,928% increase for copper. 

New steel quotas and duties are also due in July 2026, alongside global steel overproduction estimated at 640–680 million tonnes, threatening cost pressures for manufacturers and construction firms. 

Meanwhile ongoing disruption – from wars and tariffs to industrial subsidies and economic coercion – is becoming the norm rather than the exception.  

The BCC is calling for the creation of a new Economic Security Cabinet Committee chaired by the Prime Minister to coordinate policy making across government on issues from tariffs to critical imports.   

Without these smarter tools, deeper international partnerships and clearer leadership from the centre, the UK risks falling behind competitors who are moving faster to protect their supply chains. 

Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: 

“Over the past decade, British businesses have weathered some of the toughest economic shocks we’ve faced in the past 100 years. Through sheer resilience and ingenuity, they have kept trading in an increasingly unpredictable global environment. 

“But it’s clear that this is not enough. The UK’s inadequate economic security has become a drag on growth, competitiveness and national strength; yet it is still not given the focus and urgency it demands. 

“The wars in Ukraine and Iran have demonstrated how supply chains can be disrupted overnight. We now live in a world where trade interests may be weaponised, and where failing to secure key raw materials means failing to grow. 

“The UK’s defence industry must also be made a priority. The Russian threat on our doorstep is not going to suddenly fade and the US now has other priorities. By improving our national security, we bolster our economic security as well, but those benefits must be felt more widely by our smaller firms. 

“This report sets out practical, achievable steps to protect the foundations of our economy – from steel and semiconductors to defence and clean energy. 

“The message from business is clear: delay is a luxury the UK can’t afford. The Prime Minister must act now, match the pace of our competitors, and put economic security at the heart of our national growth strategy.” 

Source: British Chambers of Commerce

Last week, the BBCC team and Board of Directors gathered for an intensive strategic retreat. Our focus was clear: how can we continue to enhance our organisation and, more importantly, better serve the evolving needs of our valued members. It was a session full of productive discussions and visionary planning that has left us with a clear roadmap for the exciting chapters ahead.

We would like to express our sincere gratitutes towards our Chair Barry Brand and Vice Chair Kamelia Slaveykova for leading 2 very inspiring sessions and well as our Board Members Diana Pazaitova, Gilbert McCaul, Zlatina Ruseva-Savova, Yordan Vassilev, ChriStina Trifonova, Tim Buisseret, Martin Dimitrov and Paul Wright for their continued support and dedication to BBCC.

A massive thank you to Yavor Kirov, Ralitsa Georgieva, and the entire team at AYA Estate Vineyards for their exceptional hospitality. From the fascinating tour of the grounds and vineyards to the delicious food, their team provided the perfect environment for our strategic sessions—we truly appreciate the warm welcome!

Stay tuned for more updates on the initiatives we’re brewing!