How can targeted expert support help a company develop innovations, discover new business opportunities and improve its production processes? The story of Plovdiv-based Bulde demonstrates how long-term cooperation with Enterprise Europe Network can lead to tangible results, including a successful energy-efficiency investment supported by European funding.
Established in 2017 as a Bulgarian-German partnership, Bulde is an SME specialising in the contract manufacture and assembly of industrial components. Seeking to improve the efficiency of its production processes and introduce new technologies, the company found a partner in the Cluster of Mechatronics and Automation, a member of Enterprise Europe Network Bulgaria.
The cooperation began in autumn 2024, when the cluster’s advisers assisted Bulde in developing a project proposal under the InTransit initiative, aimed at automating a process for assembling pipe clamps and rubber inserts. The proposal passed the quality threshold but did not receive funding due to the limited budget of the call.
However, this was only the beginning of the partnership.
Over the following months, the support expanded into several areas. The cluster advised the company on opportunities for international research and development cooperation under Eurostars and supported the preparation of a project proposal under MANTRA, focused on optimising assembly processes through artificial intelligence, digital twins, digital ergonomics and virtual reality.
In parallel, Bulde received advice on other funding instruments, including NLnet’s NGI Zero Commons Fund, as well as information on international exhibitions, B2B meetings, webinars and business partnership opportunities. One concrete outcome of this support was the company’s participation in Robotics Strategy Forum 2025.
From Advisory Support to a Real Investment
One of the most significant results of the cooperation came in 2025, when the Cluster of Mechatronics and Automation identified EENergy as a suitable opportunity to modernise Bulde’s production equipment and reduce energy consumption.
Enterprise Europe Network advisers assessed the company’s needs, provided guidance on the application requirements and helped develop an energy-efficiency improvement action plan. Their support covered the preparation and validation of the application, followed by assistance with implementing the investment and reporting the results.
In April 2025, Bulde was selected for a grant of up to EUR 10,000 under EENergy.
Through the investment, the company replaced its existing electrically powered equipment for assembling tube components for aluminium window blind mechanisms with a more automated pneumatic system operating with compressed air.
Against an initially projected reduction in energy consumption of 17%, Bulde reported an approximately 99% reduction in direct electricity consumption for the specific production operation following the upgrade. The estimate was based on technical data and actual production measurements, without a precisely allocated share of electricity consumption from the shared compressor serving other machines.
As part of EENergy, and with assistance from the cluster, Bulde also received a tailored benchmarking report prepared by the World Bank, assessing the company’s energy efficiency against other European manufacturers and identifying opportunities for future improvements.
More Than One Successful Investment
Bulde’s story demonstrates that the value of Enterprise Europe Network goes beyond a single consultation or funding opportunity. Through the ongoing cooperation, the company has gained access to a wide range of expert support covering sustainable development, technological innovation, project proposal preparation and international business opportunities.
EENergy funding and the resulting production upgrade are the most visible outcomes of this partnership, but behind them lies continuous work to identify the company’s needs and opportunities for development.
Bulde’s success story also provides an example for other Bulgarian small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to strengthen their competitiveness. Through the partner organisations of Enterprise Europe Network Bulgaria, they can access advisory support for innovation, sustainability, access to finance and international cooperation, as well as assistance in turning promising ideas into practical solutions.