BCause Foundation, through its Rinker Center has completed successfully its biggest nationwide support programme for Youth entrepreneurs Rinker Youth Challenge. Our project aimed at supporting development of leadership skills and entrepreneurship mindset of young people, aiming to help them at the verge of life-major decisions through realization on the labour market in 21st century. The programme had a special focus on social –start-ups.
Journey milestones:
The autumn of 2018 - more than 500 young people with interest in entrepreneurship development and sustainable social project ideas joined the Enter the Challenge regional forums in Sofia, Varna, Plovdiv, Burgas, VelikoTturnovo, Gorna Oriahovica and Gabrovo. We met.
The spring of 2019 - more than 120 applications competed, and the best 60 teams were selected to join the MIXER camp, where they spent 4 intensive days in validating their ideas with their peers and under the supervision of 24 mentors of various business background.
The best 20 teams were selected to continue in the Accelerator – another5 busy days, full of concentrated learning, practical assignments, research, refining of the business models and elaboration of detailed business plans. The teams also, prepared themselves for the pitching Grand Finale. As part of the programme, the teams presented their ideas before investors and business angels, who provided them with invaluable advice on how to make their ideas more attractive to funders.
The summer of 2019 – Some 18 teams developed their thorough business plans and presented them at the Grand Finale in front of the Grant July. The selection of winners was not an easy decision to make.
The best 5 business proposals were awarded with financial support equal to 80 000 BGN in total.
Business Adviser, lead by Elislav Atanasov, Zero Wave, developed by Denimir Dimitrov and Blazka Trepetanova; PIXI Photobooks of Irina Bochkova and Ivana Popova, BingeOFF with Zasmina Gevezieva and Tinusaur, developed by Neven Boyanov and Oleg Kamenshtik.
2 incentive awards were given to Urba Culture and Cashew. The funds for these 2 awards were raised among the participants and matched by BCause.
Autumn – 2019 – Spring 2020 Rinker’s’ Center experts and Citi volunteers provided invaluable mentoring support in the first steps of the new business ventures. More than half of the participants in the programme launched their products and services.
"The competition was fierce and we are glad that the program can reach so many motivated young people who are pursuing their dreams." – Stanislava Taneva, Citi Country Officer for Bulgaria greeted the participants.
“With this program we were able to show hundreds of young people that with initiative, courage and hard work they can succeed in their endeavors and feel happy and fulfilled." – Elitsa Barakova, Director of BCause Foundation summarized.
June 2020 –instead of the Closing event, that we planned to celebrate the achievements of this journey, due to the COVID -19 turbulent situation, we will share with you our virtual series of inspiring stories - about the young people and their pathways to personal growth and social change, for a better tomorrow.
Dear all, thank you for the hard work and positive energy, that we lived through, hand in hand!
Keep on challenging!