Connecting Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs: IMPACTA at the EWA GROW Demo Day in Bulgaria

The IMPACTA project and its upcoming opportunities for women entrepreneurs were presented during the EWA GROW Bulgaria 2026 Demo Day, held on 7 November 2026 in Varna. The event brought together around 50 participants, including women entrepreneurs, mentors, business experts and representatives of organisations supporting innovation and entrepreneurship.

The event took place at Karin Dom and was organised by the Regional Agency for Entrepreneurship and Innovations – Varna (RAPIV) within the EWA GROW 2026 programme, supported by EIT Food.

The Demo Day marked the conclusion of several months of training, individual mentoring and business development activities. Nine women entrepreneurs presented their business ideas to a jury, demonstrating significant progress in refining their business models, market positioning and entrepreneurial skills.

The competition was particularly close, reflecting the quality of the business ideas and the remarkable progress achieved by all participants.

Elitsa Sotirova, founder of ReFruit, won first place and a grant of EUR 10,000. Her project focuses on reducing food waste by transforming surplus and second-grade fruit into natural ingredients and healthy snacks through freeze-drying technology.

Ivelina Marinova, founder of My Farm Avren, received second place and a grant of EUR 5,000. Her business idea focuses on developing a sustainable family farm based on ecological and biodynamic practices, soil regeneration and the production of healthy seasonal food.

Beyond recognising the winners, the event demonstrated the importance of practical entrepreneurial education, individual mentoring and access to professional networks in supporting women on their entrepreneurial journeys.

The programme also featured presentations on additional opportunities for business development, innovation and cooperation in the agrifood sector. Representatives of AgroHub.BG, AgriVentures, the Competence Centre for Agri-Food Systems and Bioeconomy, the Varna Economic Development Agency and the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) introduced services and initiatives supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses.

During the event, Mariya Zlateva from RAPIV presented the IMPACTA project – Innovative Mentoring and Policies for Advancing Change and Transformation of Women in Business – and the opportunities it will provide to women entrepreneurs in Bulgaria.

The presentation highlighted the findings of research conducted in Bulgaria, which identified several challenges faced by women entrepreneurs, including limited access to practical business knowledge, financing, individual mentoring and professional networks. Particular attention was given to women who may face additional barriers to entrepreneurship, such as young women, women over 50, women from rural areas, and mompreneurs and women with family responsibilities.

To address these challenges, RAPIV will launch two complementary support programmes in January 2027.

The entrepreneurship training programme will provide practical knowledge on business planning, business model development, marketing, financial management, funding opportunities and entrepreneurial skills. It will combine an online learning platform with interactive sessions and will involve 10 women over approximately three to four months.

The mentoring programme will offer personalised guidance from experienced entrepreneurs and business experts. Participants will work individually with mentors selected according to their specific business needs and development goals. Two consecutive groups of five women are planned, each benefiting from six months of individual mentoring.

Another important element of the IMPACTA presentation was the announcement of a national business pitching competition planned for beginning of September 2027.

The competition will provide women who have participated in the IMPACTA training and/or mentoring programmes with an opportunity to present their business ideas to a jury. It will target women with their own business ideas or early-stage businesses established no more than two years before joining the programme, who are able to pitch and answer questions in English.

The winner will be selected to represent Bulgaria at the IMPACTA international pitching event in Varna in September 2027, where women entrepreneurs from participating countries will have an opportunity to present their projects, exchange experiences and gain international visibility.

The competition will also showcase the results of IMPACTA's entrepreneurial support activities and encourage connections between emerging women entrepreneurs and the wider business and investment community.

The presentation concluded with an invitation to women interested in starting or developing their own businesses to take advantage of the upcoming IMPACTA activities.

Applications for the training and mentoring programmes in Bulgaria will open in December 2026, with the first activities scheduled to begin in January 2027.

The EWA GROW Demo Day provided an excellent opportunity to introduce IMPACTA to an audience already engaged in entrepreneurship and business development. The progress demonstrated by the EWA GROW participants illustrated the positive impact that structured training and mentoring can have on transforming business ideas into concrete entrepreneurial opportunities.

Building on this experience, IMPACTA will offer further support to women at different stages of their entrepreneurial journey, with particular attention to those facing additional barriers to starting and developing a business.

Women interested in participating in the upcoming IMPACTA activities are invited to follow RAPIV’s website and Facebook page, as well as those of the other IMPACTA project partners, for updates on application procedures, programme schedules and future opportunities.

The EWA GROW Demo Day also highlighted the strong synergies between EWA GROW and IMPACTA. Both initiatives share a commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs through practical training, mentoring and access to professional networks. By connecting these complementary programmes, RAPIV is helping to build a more supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem and create further opportunities for women to develop their business ideas.