The Bulgarian Industrial Association - Union of the Bulgarian Business (BIA) is a voluntary, non-profit and non-governmental organization of the Bulgarian industry, established on 25 April 1980. BIA is an umbrella organization with a matrix structure, vertically representing the branch (sector) oriented organization and horizontally the regional and municipal organizations.
Members of BIA are:
- Over 130 regional associations and local bodies of the business
- Over 100 branch organizations constituting a mirror-image of the modern Bulgarian economy. The sector member organizations of BIA are nowadays side on 64 collective labour contracts and agreements
- Over 42 000 active companies
- Out of 300 top companies - 263 BIA members
- Other collective members - Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association; Confederation "Union of Bulgarian Industry"; Central Cooperative Union; Federation of the Scientific and Technical Unions; Union of the Productive Cooperatives, etc.
- Scientific and educational units - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia University, Technical University, etc.
BIA defends the interests of its members in the state councils, international and other organizations by participating in partnership bodies on national, branch, and regional level; by its membership in international organizations; by mediation for overcoming and settlement of disputes between commercial subjects, between trade unions and employers, problems with the state administration, etc.
BIA - Union of the Bulgarian Business is a member of:
- BUSINESSEUROPE - Confederation of the European Business
- IOE - International Organization of Employers
The Association is a partner and has signed contracts with more than 70 national industrial and entrepreneur organizations, descending from well developed countries in Europe, Asia, America and Africa, as well as with American, Japanese and European institutions in the sphere of education, environment, and labour safety, health care and others.
Projects:
BIA has been partner in diverse projects funded by international and national programs.
Some of the currently impemented projects:
- Development of Workforce Competence Assessment System by Sectors and Regions (01.11.2009 -30.10.2014)
www.competencemap.bg, www.en.mycompetence.bg - Enterprise Europe Network (01.01.2006 - 31.12.2014) www.enterprise-europe-network.ec.europa.eu
- CEE YOUTH - Supporting youth employment in Central and Eastern Europe (01.12.2012 - 30.11.2013) www.skillsforyouth.eu
- TOOL - Training course and Online Osh resources for Line managers (01.12.2012 - 30.11.2014) www.toolboxlab.eu
- CONTRACTERANTO - a communication-tool for high risk work environments where non-native speakers are involved (01.01.2011 - 01.01.2014) www.contracteranto.com
- GO4EMAS: Boosting the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) in European SMEs through the EEN (01.01.2012 - 31.12.2013)
- EEN-PACT: Bringing together the Enterprise Europe Network to improve environmental management in the leather, paper, chemicals and textiles (01.01.2012 - 31.12.2013)
- OPTIMES - Opportunities to improve energy for SMEs (01.01.2012 - 31.12.2013)
