SOFIA DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION was founded as non-profit organization with the decision 348
of the Sofia Municipal Council to work for the sustainable development of the capital.
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PROJECT INSPIRENOV KICKS OFF WITH A CONSORTIUM MEETING IN SOFIA
The new project, FINancial Schemes for Providing Innovation in the EE Renovation (INSPIRenov) supported by the LIFE+ program was launched today, bringing together the 7 partner organizations from Bulgaria, Estonia, and Hungary. INSPIRenov builds upon the achievements of previous international initiatives focused on energy efficiency renovation of multi-family housing. The project will use past results to develop a market-based financial model and build it into a working solution for regional and national level, with high potential for replication in European countries where the development of financial instruments is needed to support energy efficiency retrofits. Drawing upon European practices, INSPIRenov will introduce new blended financing schemes and commercial loans for families and homeowners’ associations to support energy efficiency renovations. SDA will contribute with testing the concept in Sofia municipality, engaging local communities and a wide range of stakeholders.
The project is coordinated by Cleantech Bulgaria.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE 2014–2020), under grant agreement No 101120723
CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES SEPTEMBER 2023 IN THE BUREAU FOR INFORMATION AND SERVICES FOR THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS
During the month of August more than 150 people from different countries such as Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Guinea and Palestine have found help and support at the Bureau for Information and Services for Third Country Nationals by taking advantage of the services provided there. For the second consecutive month, the most requested service by visitors to the office was assistance with protection procedures, followed by legal, financial, and humanitarian assistance.
The official website of the Bureau offers a monthly program that describes the different activities by day and time. The content of this program is in several languages: Bulgarian, English, French, Ukrainian, Russian, Arabic, and Persian.
You can find the program for September in Bulgarian HERE
You can find the program for September in Ukrainian HERE
You can find the program for September in English HERE
You can find the program for September in French HERE
You can find the program for September in Russian HERE
You can find the program for September in Arabic HERE
You can find the program for September in Farsi HERE
The project Support for the Development of Integration Policy Framework and Service Provision for Refugees in Sofia is supported by UNHCR – Bulgaria.
INFRASTRUCTURE IN SUPPORT OF SOCIAL INNOVATIONS, WAS THE TOPIC OF THE PRESENTATION OF DENITSA LOZANOVA DURING THE INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF THE THEMATIC NETWORK "ADMINISTRATION OF SOCIAL INNOVATIONS"
The international meeting of the thematic network "Social Innovation Administration" , organised within the project “Social Innovation Plus - Centres of Competence" (SI PLUS ) was held online on 27 July. In the meeting, the project partners presented their ideas and their projects to create an infrastructure to support the creation and development of social innovation.
During the meeting, Denitsa Lozanova, Development Director at Sofia Development Association and SI PLUS Project Manager for Bulgaria, shared with the representatives of organizations, social enterprises and institutions from different European countries about the Bulgarian experience in designing infrastructure for social innovation.
A summary of the presentation can be found HERE.
The project is funded by the European Commission, the European Social Fund and the European Programme for Employment and Social Innovation.
“THE BUREAU FOR INFORMATION AND SERVICES FOR THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS” IS NOW ON VIBER!
The "Bureau for Information and Services for Third Country Nationals" now has its own channel on the communication platform "Viber". The channel will share information on the various activities and services offered by the Bureau, as well as on upcoming and past events related to the integration of refugees and migrants.
Join the channel so you can quickly and easily receive any information related to the activities of the Bureau by scanning the QR code or simply following the link.
The link to join the channel on Viber:
https://invite.viber.com/?g2=AQAYP2ZbsHQbr1FT39hmriZ652oXh46Dm8SRwfGuFfGUAPvYkx1ILAXnoLs17zrC&lang=en
The project Support for the Development of Integration Policy Framework and Service Provision for Refugees in Sofia is supported by UNHCR – Bulgaria.
SOFIA DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION PUBLISHES A NATIONAL ACTION PLAN ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL COMPETENCE CENTRE FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION
Sofia Development Association has published its National Action Plan that maps out the establishment and development of a National Competence Centre for Social Innovation in Bulgaria under the “Social Innovation Plus – Competence Center” project. The project focuses on preparing the groundwork for national social innovation competence centers. These centers are strategically positioned to support Managing Authorities in planning and implementing subsidy programs aimed at boosting social innovation. Additionally, they provide valuable support to social innovators, enabling them to maximize the benefits derived from these programs. Moreover, through networking and knowledge exchange activities, the competence centers assist other centers in becoming more effective in their respective fields.
The establishment of national competence centers for social innovation has become a significant endeavor supported by the European Commission, aimed at fostering social innovation across the European Union. Among the six projects backed by the Commission, SI PLUS stands out as a pioneering initiative. Over a period of two years, from May 2021 to July 2023, SI PLUS brought together social innovation organizations, research centers, ESF managing authorities, and other partners to design and develop competence centers.
The full Action Plan can be found HERE.
The SI PLUS project is funded by the EUROPEAN COMMISSION, European Social Fund and European Programme for Employment and Social Innovation.
CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES AUGUST 2023 IN THE BUREAU FOR INFORMATION AND SERVICES FOR THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS
During the month of July more than 110 people from different countries such as Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, and Albania have found help and support at the Bureau for Information and Services for Foreign Nationals, taking advantage of the services provided there. The most requested service for the month was assistance with protection procedures, followed by humanitarian, legal, and financial assistance.
The official website of the bureau offers a monthly program that describes the different activities by day and time. The content of this program is in several languages: Bulgarian, English, French, Ukrainian, Russian, Arabic, and Persian.
You can find the program for August in Bulgarian HERE
You can find the program for August in Ukrainian HERE
You can find the program for August in English HERE
You can find the program for August in French HERE
You can find the program for August in Russian HERE
You can find the program for August in Arabic HERE
You can find the program for August in Farsi HERE
The project Support for the Development of Integration Policy Framework and Service Provision for Refugees in Sofia is supported by UNHCR – Bulgaria.