Varna Region Leads in Social Entrepreneurship: 39 Social Enterprises and Successes

The Varna region has the largest number of social enterprises in the country. This was announced by the coordinator of the Regional Center for the Development of the Social Economy in Northeast Bulgaria, Kalina Kuncheva, who reported on the organization's activities at a press conference in the Regional Administration. 

In Varna, a wave of social economy development has been created in the last two years, which we are extremely proud of, she pointed out. A week ago, the 39th enterprise was registered, with which the region is the absolute leader in the field of social entrepreneurship. For comparison, there are 36 enterprises in Sofia, 26 in Plovdiv, 21 in Burgas. In the entire Northeast region, which also includes Shumen, Dobrich and Targovishte, there are already 47, with an increase of six times compared to the beginning of the period.  

The project for the development of the social economy in Bulgaria, called P41, started a little over 3 years ago, but the real work has been for 2 and a half years, during which the opportunities of social enterprises for people from vulnerable groups have been popularized, said Kuncheva. According to her, the most important thing is that the users of social services for acquiring work skills are transitioning to protected employment, and then to a real work environment. This has led many providers of social services to further develop their activities by creating such enterprises. According to her, the Regional Center has found a place for realization in every industry for vulnerable groups - people with disabilities, refugees, young people without experience, who have undergone treatment for addictions.

The aim of the Center's team is for social enterprises to gain wider visibility and recognition through the certification mark of the products manufactured in them, as well as to get out of dependence on donations and subsidies and to switch to self-sufficiency based on real deals. A very important role, according to them, is played by the fund of Varna Municipality in support of registered social enterprises, which is given as an example of good practice. Last year, 10 were supported, and now there are already 21. We also see the real benefits for the people themselves who participate in social enterprises. We have over 55 Varna residents from vulnerable groups, most of them young people with various disabilities, with 30 being newly appointed, said Kuncheva. 

The activities of the Regional Center for the Development of the Social Economy in Northeast Bulgaria provide very good examples, said the Regional Governor, Prof. Andriana Andreeva. There are successful projects in the municipalities of Dolni Chiflik and Dalgopol, where the development of social services is set as a priority and in 2026, she added, reminding that she is currently conducting her initiative “12 steps towards the future of the Varna region“, within which she visits the municipalities and gets acquainted with the projects of the local authorities.

Together with the Regional Center, we have a common cause to promote the social and solidarity economy, and that is why we also meet with students from the University of Economics, said Prof. Andreeva. For the second academic year, representatives of the center have been introducing future economists to the regulatory framework and the projects they are working on. 

The Regional Governor presented the annual national award for social innovations - in the category of social innovation related to employment - to the Varna enterprise “Karnaval BG“ EOOD. Their family business was registered at the beginning as a social enterprise, which donates its profit for the benefit of one group. They produce stage costumes, which they donate to kindergartens where there are children with disabilities.