For 18 years in a row the contest awards annually Bulgarian enterprises for their innovative products, processes, services and practices successfully realized on the Bulgarian and world markets.
Having started in 2004, the contest has the mission to encourage the innovative activity of Bulgarian enterprises and to promote their successful innovations among the general public.
The contest is open for active Bulgarian companies, which have successfully developed and implemented an innovation over the last three years.
More than 150 enterprises have already been acknowledged for their achievements in the 18 editions of the contest.
The “Innovative Enterprise of the Year” is organized by the Applied Research and Communications Fund and ARC Consulting in partnership with Enterprise Europe Network – Bulgaria and with the support of the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency of the European Commission and Sofia Tech Park, in collaboration with the Bulgarian Association for People Management, the Bulgarian Association of Information Technologies, the Bulgarian Entrepreneurial Association and the Professional Association of Robotics, Automation and Innovation, and media partners. The candidates are assessed by an expert group and an external jury based on a specific methodology.
The awards are given according to the impact of the distinguished innovations in categories such as:
The award ceremony takes place annually during the National Innovation Forum in December. The Forum is traditionally organized under the aegis of the President or the Prime-Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria.
The contest is recognized by the European Commission as “best national practice” for promotion of innovative development.
You can find additional information about the contest and its previous editions here.
The finalists in the “Innovative Enterprise of the Year” contest are granted the right to use the Excellence in Innovation label of the Applied Research and Communications Fund (ARC Fund), a sign for innovativeness annually awarded to the distinguished enterprises.
The label is granted for use to companies, which successfully passed via assessment by experts of ARC Fund and jury of leading Bulgarian organizations within the contest. The label recognizes the excellence, impact and efficiency of cutting-edge innovations, developed by Bulgarian enterprises. The criteria behind awarding the right to use the Excellence in Innovation label are: high quality and originality of the innovations, impact on the national and global market, the environment and society and efficiency of the business model.