Application
Application
Each company submits its application online. A company may submit more than one application - for all products it wishes to enter. Each product may only be submitted to one category.
Nominations
A 10-member jury of Bulgarian experts will nominate a total of 150 products created in Bulgaria across all sectors of the economy, presented in 5 categories. Each product is independently assessed by two experts.
Evaluation
Products are assessed against 10 distinct criteria. The names of the nominating jury members will be publicly announced at the same time as the nominated products are presented in November 2027.
Final Selection
A jury of five globally recognised international experts will conduct the final selection for the inaugural edition of 50 BEST PRODUCTS FROM BULGARIA. Individual jury members’s scores are not published.
Presentation
Through an exclusive English-language book, a limited-edition gold coin with QR code, an international ceremony and a pop-up exhibition the project presents the 50 outstanding products selected by the Bulgarian and International Juries.
Who may
apply
The inaugural edition of the national platform 50 BEST PRODUCTS FROM BULGARIA sets out to showcase what the Bulgarian economy has built over the past 37 years.
The selection is open to products created in Bulgaria or by Bulgarians – products distinguished by innovation, quality and sustainability, and either already present on international markets or holding clear potential to reach them.
Any company may apply, whatever its size, through our independent online platform. Each product is entered in one category only.
Entry is free of charge, regardless of how many products a company submits.
What matters to us is that the product carries a substantial and clearly recognisable Bulgarian imprint. The initiative recognises products made by companies with a genuine presence in Bulgaria, and products created by Bulgarians.
Applications are submitted in English, so that the international jury can assess them directly.
Eligibility
You are eligible to apply if you are:
- a legal entity registered in Bulgaria, or
- a company registered in the EU/EEA with genuine economic activity in Bulgaria - a team based in the country, and development, engineering, manufacturing or operations carried out here.
The product must have been developed or manufactured by the applicant.
Assessment takes into account clarity of ownership, transparency of structure and long-term commitment to development in Bulgaria. For products created by Bulgarians based abroad, international distinction and market presence carry particular weight.
A product need not satisfy every criterion at once. Small and early-stage companies are expressly encouraged to apply.
The product must be created or developed by the applicant. Manufacturing may be in-house or outsourced, including outside Bulgaria.
The applicant must have played a substantial role in bringing the product into being - through concept, design, technology, engineering or another decisive part of the process.
Offering, distributing or reselling a product created by another company is not in itself grounds for entry.
The product must exist in reality rather than as an idea or prototype, and must be manufactured in series or made to order.
Outside the Scope of the 2026–2027 Selection
Services fall outside the scope of this selection, as do hotels, retreat centres, resorts, restaurants and similar venues. Educational programmes and training courses are likewise outside the scope of the 2026-2027 edition.
What We Are Looking For
Products created in Bulgaria that stand out for their innovation, quality and sustainability, and that already reach international markets or have the potential to do so.
How to Apply
Applications are submitted online, through the initiative's independent platform at 50best.bg. Each product is entered in a single category. A company may enter more than one product, submitting a separate application for each.
Nominated Products Not Included in the Final Selection
Nominated products that do not reach the final selection in a given edition receive:
- Automatic consideration in the following edition, without the need to submit a new application - unless the company wishes to update its information or present a different product.
- An invitation to the Pop-up Pavilion and the initiative's travelling exhibition, under the status Nominated Product.
- An invitation to the initiative's events, including the official ceremony.
- Pro bono strategic support for 5 companies. 5 from the nominated companies that will not enter the final 50 will receive an international market development strategy and a financing strategy, prepared free of charge by our strategic partner, the Sofia Chamber of Commerce. The companies will be chosen by the team of 50 Best Products from Bulgaria and representatives of the Sofia Chamber of Commerce.
How Often the Selection Takes Place
50 BEST PRODUCTS FROM BULGARIA is held once every 2 years.

closed
The application form is closed.
Thank you for your interest!
Application form
Please complete this form in English only.
Process Overview
Administrative Review
All applications undergo an initial administrative review to verify compliance with the eligibility criteria (origin, category selection, completeness of information).
Nomination Stage: Bulgarian Expert Jury (Stage 1)
Eligible applications are evaluated by the Bulgarian Nominating Jury (10 experts across 5 categories). Each product is independently assessed by two jury members against 10 criteria. The 30 highest-scoring products in each category (150 in total) receive an official nomination.
Final Selection: International Jury (Stage 2)
All nominated products proceed to evaluation by the International Jury (5 globally recognised experts). The evaluation is conducted independently and against the same criteria.
Publication and Production Stage
Selected products will be featured in: the official publication 50 Best Products from Bulgaria (in English) the digital edition (accessible via QR code on the commemorative coin) the pop-up pavilion and the project’s communication materials The team may contact you for additional materials, editorial input, or approvals.
Official Announcement and Public Presentation
Official Ceremony (Sofia), Publication Launch, Television Broadcast and Public Pavilion (Sofia)
Process Overview
Administrative Review
All applications undergo an initial administrative review to verify compliance with the eligibility criteria (origin, category selection, completeness of information).
Nomination Stage: Bulgarian Expert Jury (Stage 1)
Eligible applications are evaluated by the Bulgarian Nominating Jury (10 experts across 5 categories). Each product is independently assessed by two jury members against 10 criteria. The 30 highest-scoring products in each category (150 in total) receive an official nomination.
Final Selection: International Jury (Stage 2)
All nominated products proceed to evaluation by the International Jury (5 globally recognised experts). The evaluation is conducted independently and against the same criteria.
Publication and Production Stage
Selected products will be featured in: the official publication 50 Best Products from Bulgaria (in English) the digital edition (accessible via QR code on the commemorative coin) the pop-up pavilion and the project’s communication materials The team may contact you for additional materials, editorial input, or approvals.
Official Announcement and Public Presentation
Official Ceremony (Sofia), Publication Launch, Television Broadcast and Public Pavilion (Sofia)

