Call for Nominations for BBCC Board of Directors

We would like to invite all member companies to extend nominations for the BBCC Board of Directors. Elections will take place at the Annual General Meeting of the British Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce held on 14 October.

Note that there will be 2 vacancies for the BBCC Board of Directors. Thus if you are willing to commit to work actively for the development of BBCC, we encourage you to put yourself forward for elections by sending us your CV and Cover Letter at office@bbcc.bg by 10 September. You will also have the opportunity to present yourself in front of BBCC members at the Annual General Meeting. 

The British Chambers of Commerce held their annual International Conference in London at the end of June, and the British Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce was represented by board member Gilbert McCaul.

Here’s what Gilbert McCaul has shared:

The event covered two days; the first day was a Global Leaders Forum which was attended by board members and senior staff from chambers all around the world. This proved a very useful day. I was able to meet and discuss issues with representatives from many different chambers, both UK and internationally based. A key theme was on building better and more effective networks, taking us beyond excellent connections to ensuring even better commercial collaboration with our members. The critical role of our co-operation with British and local embassies was emphasised.

After an evening reception in the grand surroundings of the Locarno Suite of the Foreign Office, the main conference was held the next day in the QE II Centre in Westminster. This was a more formal event than the previous day’s forum, but it gave an excellent insight into the economic and political issues currently facing the UK. As the conference was being held in a week when Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his intention to step down from office the was plenty of political comment being made. There were senior speakers present from the five major national UK political parties, a notable first for this conference, which clearly gave rise to a variety of different views on how best to develop the economy. Delivering Growth was the key message of the conference. The new president of the British Chambers of Commerce is Andy Haldane, a former chief economist of the Bank of England, who gave a thoughtful speech on the key opportunities and risks facing the British economy. Breakout sessions covered issues such as the unlocking of trade potential through the UK/EU reset, delivering growth through AI adoption and how investment in infrastructure can act as a catalyst for longer-term growth.

Despite being held on the warmest two June days on record in the UK, I believe that all delegates found this to be a very worthwhile event. The key message from the conference is to use the international chamber network to deliver economic growth through the most effective collaboration.

This past weekend, the BBCC IT Retreat brought together tech founders, executives, and partners at AluaSoul, Sunny Beach. Designed as a dedicated space for peer-to-peer networking, the event offered our IT community the opportunity to step away from the daily routine and focus on strategic growth.

The weekend’s agenda focused on actionable insights and collaboration, highlighted by:

• The “Who is Who” Presentations: A series of concise showcases where participating companies shared their current project priorities, capabilities, and upcoming initiatives, opening the door for direct alignment.
• Negotiations Strategy Session: An insightful presentation focused on effective negotiation frameworks tailored specifically for the challenges and dynamics of the IT sector.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of the attendees, speakers, and partners who joined us. The engagement and professional exchange throughout the weekend continues to strengthen the British-Bulgarian tech ecosystem.

We look forward to seeing the connections built by the sea develop into successful future collaborations.

On a beautiful summer evening, the British Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce welcomed members, partners, and distinguished guests to the highly anticipated Summer Gala, this year with a Royal Ascot theme, held at the elegant residence of H.E. Nathaniel Copsey, British Ambassador to Bulgaria.

Upon their arrival, guests were welcomed by Peter A. Harvie, a traditional Scottish bagpiper. In the garden, guests were greeted by H.E. Nathaniel Copsey and BBCC Chair Barry Brand. A special performance by young Katerina Mihaylova marked the start of a night of Royal Ascot-themed festivities.

The event was in support of CAAI, a Bulgarian non-profit organisation founded to protect animals, especially in factory farming. They work for systemic improvements in animal welfare through legislation, corporate engagement and institutional reform.

The gala was not only an evening of networking and celebration, but also of culinary delight and entertainment. Guests were treated to a fresh oyster raw bar by Chef Nikola, Head Chef of the British Embassy, delicious bites by Hilton and MyChoice Catering and exquisite selections of cocktails at the Johnnie Walker whisky bar. Aya Estate Vineyards made the lovely wine selection for the night. The mood was beautifully set by the enchanting sounds of Intro Quartet, who provided live music throughout the evening.

Our kind sponsors and partners provided four prizes that were given out during the raffle at the end of the night.

Capturing the glamour of the night, 3Frames were on hand to photograph the event, while the stunning photo wall and floral decor were brought to life by Perfect Candles Decor and Blossom Flowers.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to our generous sponsors, whose support made this extraordinary evening possible- our Diamond Sponsors Megapark, Next Logistics, and Epay, our Gold Sponsors Hilton and SGI Architects, and our Automotive Partner Moto-Pfohe. We would like to acknowledge our Drinks partners, Johnnie Walker and Aya Estate Vineyards. Special thanks to our print partner, Magic Outdoor, and, of course, the British Embassy in Sofia for their continuous support.

More pictures from the event will be released next week on our Facebook page.

On 11 June, the BBCC Sustainability Committee, in partnership with the Green Finance and Energy Centre, held the event Future-Proof Business: turning climate, technology and regulation into a competitive advantage for banks and insurers.

How can financial institutions and businesses not just protect themselves from accelerated change, but use it to be more resilient, more profitable, and more relevant? This was the question this event aimed to answer.

The event started with welcome speeches from the organising organisations: Kamelia Slaveykova, Chair of the Sustainability Committee and BBCC Vice Chair, and Doc. Dr Manyu Moravenov, Executive Director, Green Finance & Energy Centre.

Galena Koleva, Senior Banker at EBRD, gave a presentation on Green Finance Products
Kristina Stefanova, Sustainability Advisory Manager, Forvis Mazars, spoke to the audience about ESG in the Banking Sector – Good Practices and Areas for Improvement – ​​Through the Eyes of a Consultant and Auditor, and introduced the topic into the Banking Panel that followed.
The Banking Panel, moderated by Katerina Novakova, became a platform for conversation regarding ESG in the banking sector. Special thanks to Teodor Marinov (UBB), Stefan Ivanov (UniCredit Bulbank) and Angel Mateev (Postbank) for contributing to the conversation with their insights.
Loredana Artenie, UNIQA, gave a presentation on how to transform risk into opportunity, also setting the theme for the Insurers Panel that followed her presentation.
Moderated by Blagovest Tsvetkov, the panel gathered Polina Dikova (Association of Bulgarian Insurers), Veselin Angelov (Allianz Bulgaria), Stanislav Ivanov (Generali) and Julian Popov (Minister of Environment and Water), who discussed the major weakness when it comes to insurance in Bulgaria, the impact of environmental disasters, and, of course, development opportunities.

Find all presentations from the event attached below.

Special thanks to hosts from CMS and to all of our speakers and contributors.

Kamelia Slaveykova, Shell and BBCC Vice Chair
Manyu Moravenov Ph.D MRICS, Green Finance and Energy Centre
Galena Koleva, EBRD
Kristina Stefanova, Forvis Mazars
Teodor Marinov, UBB
Stefan Ivanov, EMBA, UniCredit Bulbank
Angel Mateev, Postbank
Katerina Novakova
Loredana Artenie, UNIQA
Veselin Angelov PhD, Allianz Bulgaria
Polina Dikova, Association of Bulgarian Insurers
Stanislav Ivanov, Generali
Julian Popov, Former Minister of Environment and Water
Blagovest Tsvetkov, KG Consulting
Kostadin Sirleshtov, CMS

As we wrap up another successful London Tech Week, we’re grateful for the valuable discussions, new connections, and fresh perspectives. We return with new ideas, strengthened relationships, and plenty of inspiration for the months ahead. Read more about what our delegation was up to during LTW.

Day 1 at London Tech Week 2026, the BBCC delegates spend the day exploring the show grounds and enjoying the expert talks. In the afternoon, we had an interesting and productive session about the business opportunities in Liverpool and met with a few of the wonderful companies from the region. Special thanks to Peter Schriewersmann, honorary Bulgarian consul in Liverpool, and Rob March [MBA], for transferring us to the wonderful region virtually.

Last but definitely not least, we finished the day with the BBCC summer reception in the Bulgarian embassy in London – 100 guests made the night truly memorable with diverse business experiences and connections. We are grateful to everyone who joined, to the Bulgarian embassy for the kind hospitality and warm reception, to the Bulgarian Ambassador Tihomir Stoychev and Krassimir Kiriakov for the continued support, and to our sponsor Kambourov & Partners for continuously believing in the community we are building and supporting us throughout the years!

Day 2 at London Tech Week took us to lunch with the leaders of Bulgarian Angels Club, Angels Club London Chapter and BG Founders Club, Galina Markova and Geri Valova. Thank you for your time and efforts to bring Bulgarian entrepreneurs in London together! We’re sure this was only the beginning of many discussions ☺️
Then we hurried to get to Westminster to meet with the All-Party Parliamentary Group for friendship with Bulgaria, and discuss how the two countries can work to achieve our energy, tech and AI goals together. We cannot thank the Bulgarian embassy and the APPG enough for this opportunity! Krassimir Kiriakov

Special thanks go to all the delegates who joined us this year for their professionalism and passion to grow, and to promote Bulgarian business!
Andreana Bakalova, VoidWeb
Martina Petrova, Algorithmity
Fabrice Gouttebroze, Sirma
Steve Motley, Novarto
Monica A., Magic Outdoor
Svilen Spassov, PET Engineering
Mikko Saarinen. Nordic Recruitment
Plamen Valchev, Algorithmity
Violeta Macheva-Raykolesku, Magic Outdoor
George GEORGIEV, Droxic
Iravan Hira, Tiger Technology

On 9 June, we had the pleasure of visiting 54 SU “Sv. Ivan Rilski”, where experienced business leaders stepped into the classroom to inspire students at a pivotal moment in their lives.

A heartfelt thank you to our incredible speakers, who generously gave their time and shared their professional journeys with the next generation:

• Angel Sirakov – SoCyber , Kikimora.io
• Emanuel Yankulov – Robotika Academy

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Vladimir Kolev and the entire Klett Bulgaria team for making this collaboration a reality.

This was our final school visit for the current academic year, but we are delighted to continue the programme in the next academic year as well. BBCC members are very welcome to join us as speakers and share their expertise and experience with students.

If you are interested in inspiring the next generation of professionals in Bulgaria, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the BBCC team!

On 4 June we hosted our Open IT Committee Meeting, and the energy in the room was incredible. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us to talk tech innovation and UK market entry. We covered a lot of ground:

• The BBCC IT Committee & UK Regions: Viktor Todorov, MBA, IT Commitee Leader (Cosmos Thrace) kicked things off with an inside look at what the IT Committee is working on, followed by a brilliant breakdown of the unique tech opportunities waiting in different regions across the UK.

• HealthTech Spotlight: Yordan Iliev, IT Committee Leader (MY Synergy) took a deep dive into the HealthTech sector, sharing essential strategies for navigating this high-growth (but complex) market.
  

The biggest takeaway? The bridge between Bulgarian innovation and the UK market is stronger than ever, and we’re excited to help more businesses cross it.

Thanks to our speakers, our members, and everyone who stayed for a chat and a glass of wine afterward. If you still haven’t booked your slot for our IT Retreat, you can do here.

The British Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce has sent to the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy a position with proposed amendments to the draft law for the Equal Pay Directive transposition in Bulgaria. Special thanks to our members Toncheva & Partners and Buzalov & Chanova Law Office for the fast, professional and in-depth proposals. 

BBCC welcomes the efforts of the Republic of Bulgaria to transpose Directive (EU) 2023/970 and supports the objective of ensuring a more effective implementation of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value.

For BBCC members, this issue is of direct importance both from the perspective of legal compliance and from the standpoint of good corporate governance, employee trust, and competitiveness in the labour market.

The effectiveness of the new framework depends on predictability, ensuring that it functions as a practical system rather than merely a formal and sanction-oriented one.

In light of the above, BBCC proposes that the draft law be supported in principle, but refined in some aspects, which you can review in the attached proposal. For this standard to be effective, the law must be practically applicable from day one and should not create widespread formal non-compliance due to insufficient time, lack of methodology, or inadequate technical preparedness. 

BBCC proposes that the draft legislation be revised before being submitted for adoption, incorporating a reasonable transition period, clear and comparable definitions, a simplified regime for small employers, harmonised deadlines, an effective consultation mechanism, and methodological tools for employers.

You can find the full position paper in Bulgarian in the attachment below.

The BBCC Expansion Bridge is Officially Underway!

This week marked a major milestone for us. The very first bootcamp—co-organised alongside our brilliant partners at the Global Tech Community – officially happened live in London!

Following a highly successful online segment two weeks ago, we were thrilled to welcome ambitious companies from all over Europe to London for this immersive, hands-on experience.

As part of our mission to champion innovation and bilateral trade, we want to shine a bright spotlight on some incredible Bulgarian cybersecurity companies we’ve had the pleasure of engaging with – both back in Bulgaria and here on the ground at the Infosecurity Europe forum:

Stihia
GateLink
Plainsea
WiseBee

A massive shoutout to our valued chamber members, Shell and Baringa, for their invaluable participation in our exclusive, closed-circle CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) Round Table. A special thank you to Olivia Wright, Priya P., and Luan Ibraimi —your insights, expertise, and contributions truly elevated the discussion and added immense value to everyone in the room.
Last but certainly not least, a huge thank you to David W. for his visionary leadership in driving the Global Tech Connect initiative forward. Your dedication is what makes milestones like this expansion bridge possible!