Can an idea be turned into a real business? How do you build a brand, attract customers, and plan the resources needed to develop a business concept?
These were some of the questions explored by the participants in the first pilot edition of the National Entrepreneurship Camp for Young People, organized by the International Youth Centre – Burgas.
The five-day training was part of the project “The Youth of Burgas – The Future Starts Now”, implemented under the Youth Centres Funding Programme in the Republic of Bulgaria 2026–2028, funded by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
Young people from Burgas, Botevgrad, Stara Zagora, Plovdiv, Smolyan, Targovishte and Sofia took part in the camp. Different cities, interests and experiences created an environment for new connections, the exchange of ideas and collaborative work.
The programme was designed to combine lectures, practical exercises, teamwork, case studies and mentoring support.
On the first day, participants got to know each other and formed the teams they would work with on their final project proposals – the main objective of the entrepreneurship camp.
The second day continued with the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and digital entrepreneurship, with the participation of software engineer and guest lecturer Milena Georgieva. She presented key concepts, practical knowledge and useful guidance on turning an idea into a real business. The young people also explored green entrepreneurship, career paths and the professions of the future, as well as the skills needed to adapt and grow in the changing reality of the labour market. Taking on the roles of sustainability consultants, the teams worked on business cases and presented their solutions. They also practised delivering impactful presentations designed to convince entrepreneurs to choose and fund their proposal.
On the third day, participants met Ruben Lazarev, an experienced entrepreneur who encouraged them to pursue their dreams and work purposefully on their business ideas while keeping their feet firmly on the ground. Together with him, they explored branding and advertising, the customer as the mission of entrepreneurship, and business planning – an important but often overlooked part of developing a business.
The fourth day was entirely dedicated to teamwork. The teams discussed, conceptualized, further developed and prepared their project proposals. They received feedback from the lecturers, facilitators and mentors, aimed at the potential of their projects, identifying their strengths, anticipating possible challenges and finding ideas for improvement.
The final day was a time for reflection and looking back on the experience. Participants shared their impressions of the camp, its organization and implementation, as well as what they would take with them after these five days.
At the end, we said “See you next time!” – because it is precisely these kinds of social and educational events that encourage us to recognize the valuable opportunities for exchanging experience, discovering new ideas and seeing different perspectives with people who are truly “on the same wave.”
