On 30th of April, 2014 in the conference hall of hotel “Ezerets”, Blagoevgrad, Blagoevgrad Municipality, Bulgaria, was held the first workshop on the project "Establishing a network of social enterprises to implement innovative marketing strategies" implemented by Association of South Western Municipalities in partnership with Social Enterprise Coalition, United Kingdom, financed by the Operational Programme "Human Resources Development".
To participate in the meeting were invited representatives of all target groups - Local authorities in the districts of Blagoevgrad and Kyustendil - municipalities Bansko, Blagoevgrad, Bobov dol, Boboshevo, Gotse Delchev, Garmen, Dupnitsa, Kocherinovo, Kresna, Kyustendil, Nevestino, Petrich, Razlog , Rila, Sandanski, Sapareva banya, Satovcha, Simitli, Strumyani, Treklyano, Hadzhidimovo and Yakoruda; Regional authorities - Regional authorities with administrative centers Blagoevgrad and Kyustendil and territorial structures of ASH in both areas; Social enterprises in both areas.
Active participation in the meeting took fifty representatives of the described groups. The program of the workshop included a presentation of the project, project partners, presentation of potential actors in the social entrepreneurship and discussion of the work program of the network and indicative dates for future activities.
The project was presented by its manager - Lyubitsa Tomova, which familiarize the participants with the detailed objectives, planned activities and expected results. She presented the leading organization - Association of South Western Municipalities and partner organization – Social Enterprise Coalition, UK.
Representatives of the target groups presented their organizations and their relationship to create a network for social entrepreneurship in Bulgaria. This was actually the first feedback from the target groups to ASWM. All participants expressed a positive attitude towards the project and expressed willingness to participate in subsequent project activities.
During the workshop participants were provided work packages, including folder, pad, pen and prints of three presentations covering the main points of the work program of the meeting.
All submitted materials meet the requirements for visualization of the OP "Human Resources Development". In the conference hall where the meeting was held were located two information banners of the project.
The meeting was covered by local and regional media.
As a result of the workshop, representatives of the target groups were introduced to the project and the organizations that implement it; all members of the target groups presented their organizations, focusing on their attitude towards social entrepreneurship; all members of the target groups stated a clear desire to be in a network for social entrepreneurship and to participate in the implementation of project activities; to discuss the work program of the Network and the indicative dates for future meetings.