Coca Cola HBC Bulgaria Highlights Youth Development and Sustainable Resource Management at NGO Academy 2026

The company joined an innovative format bringing together business, civil society organisations and students around key social challenges from the NGO sector

Coca‑Cola HBC Bulgaria took part in NGO Academy 2026 - an innovative initiative that brings together business, civil society organisations and students to address key social challenges and develop solutions with real impact. The four‑day challenge is a joint project of NGO Portal - Bulgaria’s information platform for non‑governmental organisations, New Bulgarian University, and The Convo Foundation, with the support of the America for Bulgaria Foundation. As part of the programme, Maya Ivanova, Customer & Community Partnerships Manager at Coca‑Cola HBC Bulgaria, participated in a discussion panel and was also a member of the jury that evaluated the final projects developed by student teams based on real‑life NGO sector cases.

“NGO Academy is an excellent example of a well‑structured and effective educational initiative that encourages meaningful collaboration between business, the civil sector and young people. I firmly believe that it is within such partnerships that solutions with real and lasting impact are born. For us, it is important to share our experience and demonstrate that sustainable initiatives can be both beneficial to society and effective in the long term,” commented Maya Ivanova.

The company’s participation placed a strong focus on the role of business as a driver of the local economy and employment. The Coca‑Cola System in Bulgaria provides over 3,300 direct jobs and supports approximately 14,000 additional jobs across the value chain, working with a wide network of Bulgarian suppliers and partners and creating added value for the national economy.

A key highlight was also the development of youth employment through #YouthEmpowered - a programme that has been bridging education and business for nearly a decade. To date, the initiative has reached more than 36,000 young people in Bulgaria, providing them with practical skills, mentorship and real exposure to the working environment. In 2025 alone, over 4,000 young people completed training programmes aimed at a successful career start, with company employees participating as mentors.

As an example of long‑term environmental impact, the initiative “My Green City” was also presented. For nearly two decades, the programme has brought together employees of Coca‑Cola HBC Bulgaria, institutions and local communities around a shared commitment to environmental protection. Since its launch, volunteers have cleaned more than 1,550 decares of polluted areas near water bodies, collected separately over 11 tonnes of household waste, planted more than 3,000 trees, cleaned over 30 km of coastal areas, and transformed 10 public transport stops in Sofia into dedicated plastic collection points.

Within the framework of NGO Academy 2026, special attention was also given to the transition towards a circular economy and the introduction of a deposit return system in Bulgaria. The company supports the development of the efficient “bottle‑to‑bottle” model, aimed at the collection and recycling of packaging, as well as encouraging consumers to return used bottles, contributing to higher collection rates and repeated use of resources.

Participation in the innovative format once again reaffirmed Coca‑Cola HBC Bulgaria’s role as an active partner in societal development, combining economic contribution with strategic initiatives in the fields of education, environmental protection and sustainable development.