Public-Private Partnership Visit to Sevlievo

In the framework of its "Business and Social/Community Investment" Target team BBLF organized a visit to Sevlievo with the purpose of exchanging experience between BBLF members and the mayors of the host communities they are engaged in social/community investment actions. The visit was oganized on the joint invitation of Vidima AD and the Mayor of Sevlievo Mr Yovcho Yovkov and was a follow-up of the issues raised during the "Business and Community Investment" discussion held in January.

Participants at the visit were representatives of Nike Europe, Unicore Med JSC, Kaliman RT, TNT Bulgaria, BCAF, the mayors of Zlatiza and Pirdop, as well as the MSI Consultancy team on public-private partnerships and a working group from Dobrich (comprised of municipality and business representatives).

The group met with representatives of Vidima AD, visited their new plant in Gradeshnitza and held meetings with Mr Sabcho Somlev, Deputy-mayor of Sevlievo and Mr Hristo Yonkov, Chairman of the Business Association "Sevlievo 21st Century" and Executive Director of ABB. In a working lunch MSI consultant Mr Nate Bowdich made a presentation on public-private partnerships for economic development and the forms they may take.

The main ideas that were discussed during the visit relate to public-private partnerships as an independent forum to build trust and harness a community's entrepreneurial energy. It was pointed out that successful partnerships are transparent agreements to do something that benefit the community and support job creation, as well as that they should be led and planned jointly by local government and business, as equals.