Empowering Partnerships for Social Impact in Bulgaria

ongoing

EPSI is a project of 7 partners with strong and complementing expertise in business development/investment readiness programmes and social finance, gathered to help the development of effective social finance market in Bulgaria. Specifically, EPSI targets the 1) increase of understanding and knowledge about social impact among investors in Bulgaria; 2) building of mindset and skills for growth among SEs to raise their investment readiness; 3) creation of clear pathway for novel financial instruments blending financial and non-financial support components for public/private investors; 4) to pilot lending financial instrument for SEs; 5) facilitation of an impact business angels’ network; 6) contribution to the improvement of the regulatory and supportive framework of the Bulgarian social finance ecosystem. Project activities are grouped in 5 WPs over a 24-month period: WP1. Management and reporting sets a detailed plan on management, coordination, monitoring, evaluation and reporting. WP2. Setting the scene includes analytical and collaborative design activities: Social Finance market in Bulgaria assessment combining existent research data and producing new investors’ research (12 respondents), study visits, calls, case studies and a Guidebook on Social investment, the design of Investment Readiness Academy. WP3. Allows to step from knowledge to action by implementing 2 Impact talks (10 investors) - inspirational and capacity building events for investors and 2 Investment readiness academies (20 teams SEs). WP4. Innovative SI finance focuses on the development of financial instruments, signing a MoU, pilot lending instrument (with accessible/available financial resources) and, in parallel, facilitation of business angels’ group. WP5. Communication and dissemination will allow consistent information flows to target audiences: SEs, investors, policy makers, media through web site and social media, events, final conference and media partnerships.