Follow Up: The Great British Charity Quiz Vol. 5: The Christmas Edition

On 4 December, The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award – Bulgaria (The Award), in partnership with the British Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce (BBCC) and the British Embassy in Sofia, hosted the 5th Great British Charity Quiz.

H.E. Mr Nathaniel Copsey, British Ambassador to Bulgaria, graciously welcomed guests to the British Residence in Sofia for this special event. H.E. Copsey and Tony McMurray, Chair of the Award’s Honorary Trust entered the role of quizmasters!

The night was filled with laughter, a little bit of competitiveness and lots of interesting quiz questions. Alongside the quiz, guests were welocme to participate in a charity raffle and silent auction featuring exciting prizes, generously donated by partners and supporters of the Award in Bulgaria.

PwC’s Academy presents the CIMA CFO training programme. Attending this training will allow participants to get the most widely held management accounting designation in the world – Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).  

The CIMA CFO programme is open to:  

• CFOs, CEOs and senior management who have previously worked in finance 
• Candidates who hold membership of a recognised professional accounting body, a finance related degree or an MBA/Masters in Accounting 
• Professionals with at least 10 years experience in finance or business functions 

Under this fast-track programme, candidates will only take one exam – the Strategic Case Study. Successful completion of the exam will allow direct entry to CIMA membership and awarding of the CIMA designation.  

Application deadline: 4^th February 2026  
Language: English 
Format: Live-online You can find more information and contact PwC’s Academy here: https://www.pwc.bg/en/pwc-academy/portfolio/accounting-and-finance/cima-cfo.html

The British Chambers of Commerce have kindly provided us with the November Update on Trade Policy. Make sure to check it out in the attachment below.

30% off the first monthly fee for M3’s communication services in case of a one-year contract; 

30% off any course at M3 College, the leading practical training centre for personal and professional growth.

M3 is here Made for You – to ensure your remarkable success and proper visibility in 2026 and beyond.

Just click below to ask for M3’s offer tailored to your business needs:

https://www.m3bg.com

https://www.m3college.com

Applications for Beyond pre-accelerator – Season 7 are now open

This cohort focuses on medtech, longevity and well-being startups and aspiring entrepreneurs committed to healthcare innovation. The program is designed to transform research-driven ideas into real-world solutions.

Beyond equips founders with the tools, expertise, and access required to bring clinically-validated technologies to patients, providers, and health systems faster and safer.

What participants get?

Built for healthcare realities: Rigorous, structured launch model aligned with clinical, regulatory, and operational standards.

Expert Mentorship: Access to senior clinicians, researchers, and industry operators who help ensure quality, safety, and adoption.

Pathways to scale: Corporate pilot opportunities, global network reach, and applied validation environments.

Funding readiness: Warm investor introductions, non-dilutive options, and pilot budgets that accelerate progress.

Technical acceleration: Support for prototyping, integrations, and testing in real-world healthcare settings.

Credibility & recognition: Awards (+5k BGN financial prize) and milestones that strengthen trust with partners, patients, and institutions

We believe in developing solutions that matter. If you’re building for patient outcomes, clinical efficiency, or improved population health, we encourage you to join Beyond.

Apply here.

As the holiday season approaches, SeeNext has prepared a practical gift for BBCC members who need to monitor key developments within the renewable energy industry globally – with RenewablesNow.com – or the energy markets in Southeast Europe – with SeeNews.com.

SeeNext are offering BBCC members a 40% discount on annual subscriptions, lowering the price to €15.6 per month for Renewables Now and €18.25 per month for SeeNews.

Plus, both news websites allow you to build a personalised daily or weekly newsletter around your specific interests – so you receive only the updates that matter most to your markets, technologies or investment strategies.

To reduce the price of our subscription plans, simply use the codes*:

• HOREN40 on RenewablesNow.com/Subscription
• HODAY40 on SeeNews.com/Subscription

*just remove any pre-applied code with the x

The discount will be active until January 31, 2026. If you are planning your information needs for 2026, this is a good moment to secure full access at a lower price.

Furthermore, you will also receive a 10% discount for one or two-page interview/article positioning in the forthcoming Renewable Energy in Southeast Europe study, planned for March 2026 if you confirm your participation by January 21, 2026 (please find attached the calendar for the rest of the studies).

For more information:

Kremena Palyonova-Schwartz

+359 888 264 040

We are delighted to announce that Barry Brand has been elected as the new BBCC Chair and Kamelia Slaveykova as the new BBCC Vice Chair.

Both presented their ambitious plans for the development of BBCC and the benefit of our members. We look forward to working with them both. Congratulations to Gilbert McCaul who will be the BBCC Treasurer.

The British Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce (BBCC), in partnership with the British Embassy in Sofia, was delighted to welcome a dynamic UK business delegation to Bulgaria this week. The visit formed part of the Green Cities are GREAT 2025 initiative — a flagship regional event dedicated to sustainable urban development, smart infrastructure and climate-positive solutions.

Over two days, the delegation took part in the Green Cities are GREAT Conference, B2B matchmaking meetings, and discussions with Bulgarian municipalities and industry leaders. The mission aimed to foster new partnerships, explore investment opportunities, and support the exchange of expertise between the UK and Bulgaria’s growing green innovation ecosystems.

Participating UK Delegates

We were proud to host representatives from ten innovative UK companies driving change across energy efficiency, air quality, smart monitoring, data intelligence, geospatial planning and aerospace technologies:

• Energy Saving Trust
• We Care 4 Air
• Meteor Communication
• Space Syntax
• DPC (Data People Connected)
• Crowd House Energy
• YardOps
• SAUCE
• Nordic Energy
• ISS Aerospace

Their participation added significant value to the discussions around digital transformation, sustainable mobility, energy transition, as well as the future of smart and resilient cities.

Highlights from the Visit

Throughout the programme, delegates had the opportunity to:

• Present their solutions at the Green Cities are GREAT Conference, featuring expert panels and discussions with Bulgarian and regional municipal leaders.
• Engage in targeted B2B meetings with local companies, investors, and public-sector stakeholders, hosted by the innovative Sofia Tech Park
• Explore collaboration opportunities on clean air initiatives, data-driven city planning, environmental monitoring, and urban sustainability projects.
• Experience the vibrant business environment of Sofia and connect with key players in Bulgaria’s fast-growing green economy.

Despite the rainy weather, the atmosphere was energising and productive, with numerous conversations pointing toward future cooperation and shared projects in the region.

Looking Ahead

We hope the delegation’s time in Bulgaria was both insightful and fruitful, opening doors to long-lasting partnerships. BBCC remains committed to supporting continued engagement between the participating organisations and the Bulgarian market.

We look forward to welcoming the companies back to Bulgaria soon — this time with local partners, joint initiatives, and new opportunities taking shape.

We are delighted to share the success of the Green Cities are GREAT 2025 conference which was held on 26 November. Each year the conference gathers experts in the field and promotes the implementation of sustainable policies and practices to acheive smart and sustainable cities.

In response to increasing global urgency around environmental challenges and climate resilience, Green Cities are GREAT 2025 focused on urban sustainability, clean technology, and green infrastructure, connecting policy-makers, innovators, business leaders, and urban planners from Bulgaria and the UK.

The event was opened by BBCC Chair Barry Brand, followed by welcome speeches from H.E. Nathaniel Copsey, and Vassil Terziev – Mayor of Sofia and official patron of the conference.

This year we were happy to host three remarkable keynote speakers:

Sam Evans, Head of Natural Environment, Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Sam introduced the audience to Greater Manchester and gave an insight into how Greater Manchester manages the impact of climate change, and how the city adapts to those changes. The presentation left an inspiring and eye-opening remark.

Karsten Weineich, Head of Customer Operations of Ubitricity, part of Shell. Karsten’s presentation was on Transforming EV Charging in Europe, highlighting how you can utilise existing infrastructure to create new and sustainable opportunities.

George Marinov, Founder and CEO of EasyPay, ePay.bg, EPAYGO and Infonotary. George’s presentation was on Workflow Beyond Paper, underlining the excess use of paper for simple tasks that could be easily digitalised.

The event also gathered two panels that discussed ‘Climate Resilience and Adaptation’, and ‘Urban Infrastructure’.

The first panel gathered Trayko Mladenov, Mayor of Kostinbrod; Nadezhda Bobcheva, Deputy Mayor of Sofia; and Jacklin Tzocheva, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Director, Coca Cola HBC Bulgaria. The panel was moderated by Boyan Rashev, Mind Your Future.

The second panel gathered Metody Baykushev, Mayor of Kostinbrod; Nikola Gechev, Director Corporate Sales, Vivacom; Heidi Kagiali, Forestry and Conservation Manager, PEFC; Oscar McDonald, Associate Director, Space Syntax; and Julian Popov, Former Minister of Environment and Water. The panel was moderated by Tim Buisseret, Commercial Attache at Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

We would like to extend our gratitude to all speakers and panelists for taking the time to speak on those urgent and important matters regarding sustainable development and practices.

Special thanks to our diamond sponsors Shell and ePay/EasyPay.

Thank you to our gold sponsors Vivacom, CocaCola HBC Bulgaria, PEFC, and MTK.

Thank you to our media partners SeeNews/SeeNext, and ESG News.

Thank you to our wine partner Villa Daros, and our translation partner Mariana Hill Interpretorium.

Shout out to Hilton Sofia for always providing such great atmosphere, and to Roy Hill for capturing the wonderful moments from the conference.

You can check out the pictures from the event here.

Responding to the launch of a Critical Minerals Strategy, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy, said: 

“If the UK is to keep its place at the table of the world’s biggest and most developed economies then it must diversify and improve its supply chain security. 

“Advanced manufacturing needs guaranteed sources of the critical metals and minerals needed to drive the UK’s long-term economic growth. 

“In today’s world, it makes sense to reduce dependency on single countries as sources of imported critical minerals. 

“Investing in the UK’s own supply chains where we can, like lithium in Cornwall, also reduces economic and geopolitical risks.  

“For other key supply chains in batteries, electronics and electric vehicles the commitment to limit single country reliance to 60% by 2035 means we must seek out new agreements. These should be with likeminded partners such as the US, the EU, Greenland, Chile and Canada.  

“We should also make the most of our role within the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership to futureproof supply chains with other trade partners.” 

Find out more detail on the Critical Minerals Strategy here.