VRATSA CCIThe Berkovitsa Office of CCI Vratsa was established in 1994, shortly after the CCI Vratsa was founded as a non-government, non-profit, public organization of the business people. It is an independent regional structure of the Chambers’ system in Bulgaria. The office was fully operational in 1994, providing the whole range of services like the Vratsa Chamber, with its active support. Since it was opened this office has gathered more than 100 members - companies, micro and SMEs, entrepreneurs, NGOs from the region. Since September 1999 the Berkovitsa Branch of CCI Vratsa has started to use the services and the resources of the Euro Info Centre BG808, hosted by the Chamber (at present European Enterprise Network). Since July 2002 the Chamber has set up a branch of the National Vocational Training Centre within the BCCI system, and Berkovitsa branch has been fully availing of its resources.
Due to the increased volume of work and the number of companies and members that addressed the Berkovitsa office for various services, in 2005 the Chamber's Board of Directors has made a decisions to officially open a Branch of the CCI Vratsa in Berkovitsa.
As an organization it is based on the principles of voluntary participation and membership, autonomy and self-financing. It works in close cooperation with local authorities and other non-government organizations from the country as well as with NGOs and CCIs from abroad.
The Berkovitsa Branch of CCI Vratsa collaborates with the other two offices of the Chamber established in Lom and Botevgrad, the whole system comprising more than 1500 companies.
Main activities and services offered by Berkovitsa Branch of Vratsa CCI:
- Registration of Bulgarian companies and representation offices of foreign companies in the unified Trade Register of BCCI;
- Certification of export documents, business invitations, invoices, ATA carnets;
Providing information and consultation for SMEs, NGOs, local authorities, public institutions;
- Oral and written consultations on: taxation, customs procedures, accountancy, banking, financial, insurance, legislation (both in Bulgaria and in Europe);
- Providing information and advice on various business issues;
- Organization of business meetings, business delegations, participation in fairs and exhibitions, qualification seminars and courses, company presentations;
- Assitance and advise in the field of market research, business planning, specific contracts with foreign companies and registration of companies with the court;
- Assisting the establishment of business contacts;
- Organization of general and specialized courses and seminars on various topics;
- National GS1 Bureau (within the BCCI);
- Translation of all kinds of documents, technical documentation, medical, law, economic and other specific types of literature in various languages. Certification in relevant Ministries and in the Consular’s Office of the Foreign Ministry;
- Library database with specialized literature;
- Arbitration Court (within the BCCI), resolves disputes between companies out of the court-room;
- EU-related services offered to enterprises: providing information about European public tenders or programmes, supplying accurate market or country analysis, providing advice on European Directives, regulations and legislation, helping companies apply for European Commission funding or projects, assisting companies to export and import, helping businesses find trade partners, investment opportunities or suppliers, supporting companies who introduce innovations, helping with conformity assessment;
- Core Expertise Areas: Public Procurement, Market Access, EU Financing, Environment & Sustainable Development, Research & Development, Business Co-operation & Partner Search, Information & Communication Technology, Euro
Since 2007 a Cross-Border Business Support Centre was established by the chamber branch in Berkovitsa under the Bulgaria-Serbia Neighbourhood 2004 programme. This new Centre has enlarged the services of CCI Berkovitsa to focusing on encouraging and facilitating the contacts and relations between companies from the border regions in Bulgaria and Serbia.
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