BGBizHub proposes ideas for Bulgarian-German business relations

“It is easier to be represented by an association than to take part as an individual player,” says Rositsa Ivanova, Head of the Trade and Economic Affairs Office at the Bulgarian Embassy in Berlin.

On 19 February at 6:00 p.m., with the support of Ambassador Grigor Porozhanov, the Bulgarian business club BGBizHub - founded in November 2025 - will hold its second meeting in Berlin. The occasion is both the accession of new Bulgarian entrepreneurs to the association and the outlining of steps toward developing Bulgarian-German business relations in the heart of Europe - Berlin and its surrounding areas.

“The business sector in Germany is extremely well-organized outside the formal state framework. There is an entire system of structures that exert far greater influence than official institutions. Our goal is for the club to grow into such a structure, which is why we are laying the foundations for something that will continue to develop even after my mandate,” emphasizes Rositsa Ivanova, and continues:

“The Bulgarian business club BGBizHub is not a legal entity, but an open platform for communication, cooperation, and development, whose activities are carried out on a voluntary basis in coordination with the Bulgarian Embassy in Berlin - that is, with the office I head. And since we decided that each meeting would be thematic, this time we will discuss what is new in tax law and what Bulgarian businesses in Germany can expect.”

The speaker will be Nevena Grundmann - one of the founders of the club and owner of an accounting firm. The association already has a logo, a LinkedIn page, a domain, and an email address.

There are no representatives of large-scale business here, Ivanova says, explaining that they have focused their activities on Bulgarian companies in Berlin and within a radius of no more than 200 km from the German capital, so that their representatives can easily participate in meetings and seminars.

“Our community is still very small, but we expect Bulgarian entrepreneurs to be active and to identify with what we are doing,” Rositsa Ivanova notes, adding that they use various communication channels:

“We have quite strong personal social networks and we promote different initiatives through them; that’s how we did it for the ‘Green Week’ exhibition in Berlin. People had read the announcement, and in my social networks I see about six or seven new partners, including Germans who have worked at the German-Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce and now have businesses here, but continue to work with Bulgarian businessес in Bulgaria as well. They also expressed a desire to join our business club.”

The aim of the association is to establish contacts with state structures as well as with the informal power networks in both countries - associations, foundations, craft chambers, and regional business circles, Ivanova explains, adding that “in Germany they are extremely well recognized, lead to real partnerships, information exchange, and opportunities to blend business with social life.”

According to her, Bulgarian entrepreneurs in Berlin are mainly oriented toward construction, consulting services, and customer services, but there are also many freelancers, restaurateurs, and food distributors.

“To my knowledge, there are no large Bulgarian entrepreneurial companies here, except in construction. I have not yet encountered anyone involved in tourism, but we do have a producer with their own boutique winery. In the field of art, there are also entrepreneurs - for example, Suzan Yumerova is an exceptionally strong representative at the Berlinale film festival. She is trying to create Bulgarian-German co-productions and works well with the National Film Center in Bulgaria. Urban art is very fashionable here now, and recently Bulgarian artists from Germany, together with a company from the Bulgarian town of Isperih, created a mural on one of the residential buildings in central Berlin, and they are now in talks with the director of the Bulgarian Cultural Institute to organize an exhibition in the building. So we also work with representatives of the arts who are very well positioned here.”

Recently, the student association “Hashove” in Berlin has also begun supporting BGBizHub. The organizers are already outlining their future goals.

“Their long-term goal is to identify and motivate established representatives of Bulgarian businesses and bring them into our circle,” Ivanova says, adding:

“We have two medium-term goals - one is to produce a bulletin with economic information and upcoming initiatives, and the other is to create a register of all member companies, grouped by sectors, with contact details. Together with Ivan Tihov - a representative of small and medium-sized enterprises in BGBizHub - we need to structure the relevant organizations in Germany with which to establish partnerships. We will hold three meetings a year and provide members with contacts for events and forums - that is, things they would find difficult to access on their own, because it is easier to be represented by an association than to participate as an individual player.”

Read also:

New business club works to promote Bulgarian entrepreneurs in Berlin

Bulgaria with its own stand at the International Green Week in Berlin

English version: R. Petkova