For the third year in a row, the Technology Transfer Center at the Research Sector of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" is organizing the "Young Entrepreneur in Science" competition. In 2024, it will be held in collaboration with the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski."

The competition aims to support the development of student and youth entrepreneurship at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski," to stimulate students and young researchers to start their own businesses.

Only students and researchers up to 35 years old, as well as teams composed of researchers within the specified age group from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski," are eligible to participate in the competition.

This year, participants in the competition will be able to apply in two stages.

The first stage of the competition ends on April 1, 2024. Participants who submit their applications by this date will have the opportunity to work with mentors from the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University to improve their projects in April and May 2024.

The second stage of the competition ends on September 15, 2024. This is the deadline for submitting applications for participation. Participants who submit their applications by this date will directly enter the competition but will not have the opportunity to work with a mentor from the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University to improve their projects.

A mandatory condition for participation in the competition is for candidates to present a developed business idea, a description of a scientific product or technology with the specified level of technological maturity, and to submit a completed application for participation in one of the two periods - by April 1, 2024, or by September 15, 2024.

Additional Information:

Submitting applications for participation in the first stage of the competition is not a mandatory condition for participation. Mentors will not be members of the expert jury. Participation in this competition does not limit candidates from participating in other competitions.

Important deadlines for the competition:

• April 1, 2024: Submission of applications for participation in the first stage of the competition;
• April – May 2024: Candidates work with mentors from the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" to improve submitted projects;
• September 15, 2024: Deadline for submitting applications for participation in the competition (end of the second stage of the competition);
• October 21, 2024: Review of all submitted applications from both stages of the competition, evaluation by the expert jury, and selection of up to 5 nominations to be admitted to interviews with the expert jury;
• October 24, 2024: Notification of the up to 5 nominated projects admitted to interviews with the expert jury;
• October 28, 2024: Oral defense of nominated applications before the expert jury, where candidates must acquaint the commission members with their project and present their views on the possibilities for its realization and operation. During the oral defense, candidates may use pre-prepared presentations.
• October 28 – November 5, 2024: Meeting of the expert jury, ranking the winners of the "Young Entrepreneur in Science" competition 2024. The first three distinguished projects will receive an invitation to present their development at the forum for promoting student and youth entrepreneurship in Bulgaria - "European Entrepreneurship Day 2024".
• November 2024: Awarding the winners of the "Young Entrepreneur in Science" competition 2024 during the annual forum for promoting student and youth entrepreneurship in Bulgaria - European Entrepreneurship Day - 2024.

Procedure for conducting the competition:

Participants in the "Young Entrepreneur in Science" competition should send an application for participation to the organizer within one of the specified two stages. Please, send application for participation to kgeneva@tto.uni-sofia.bg

Prize fund:

The committee will award three prizes. First prize of BGN 10,000 for the application judged as the most creative and inspiring entrepreneurial initiative - "Young entrepreneur in science". The runner-up will receive a prize of BGN 5,000, and the third in the competition will receive a prize of BGN 3,000.

The cash prizes are intended to finance the implementation of the business idea, the scientific justification, and the realization potential of the winning participants in the "Young Entrepreneur in Science" 2024 competition.