Sofia Mayor, Yordanka Fandakova met with representatives of the Family Business Association - Bulgaria. The meeting discussed the ongoing cooperation between the municipality and the association and participation in joint initiatives. At the invitation of the Mayor of Sofia, the Family Business Association will join the spring afforestation season of the new forest in Sofia.

Sofia Municipality began planting a new forest on an area of 225 decares in the district of Suhodol, with the aim of planting over 125 000 trees.

Mr. Viktor Gugushev, President of Next Generation at the Association and Mr. Ivan Staykov, Vice-President of the same attended the meeting. Mr. Vladimir Danailov, Executive Director of the Municipal Investment Agency, was also present on the side of the municipality.

Over the recent years, business conditions in Sofia have been developing and the city has become more attractive to various companies, shared from the Association. In the last years, the Bulgarian capital has become an attractive place for opening of offices and development centres of many global and European companies.

Sofia Mayor, Yordanka Fandakova pointed out that the development of business and the creation of a good business environment is a key factor for the city's economy. Well-educated young and innovative people are the potential for the success of Sofia. Through the Municipal Investment Agency we support business in the city, develop opportunities for entrepreneurship and especially youth entrepreneurship and innovation, said the Mayor. 90% of the IT companies in the country are based in Sofia and here are employed more than 40 000 of the workers in the capital.

Mayor Fandakova informed that the Municipality of Sofia opens a call for project proposals within a pilot programme for innovative, start-up and social entrepreneurs, Accelerator Start-up Sofia. The program aims to help accelerate access of innovative entrepreneurs to funding by helping them develop and submit proposals to potential investors and funding organizations. It will be implemented jointly with the efforts of the Municipal Guarantee Fund for Small and Medium Enterprises at Sofia Municipality, the Sofia Municipal Privatization and Investment Agency and the Europe Programme of Sofia Municipality.

Mr. Viktor Gugushev presented to Mayor Fandakova the programme of the Bulgarian Association, which managed to win successfully the competition to host the World Meeting of the Youth Structure to the International Family Business Organization, which will take place in 2020. Part of the initiatives will start from Sofia, and the hosting and the presentation of the city will be an important basis for new business challenges.