GS1 Bulgaria

What GS1 Bulgaria does

GS1 Bulgaria (СДРУЖЕНИЕ GS1 БЪЛГАРИЯ) is the national member organization of GS1 AISBL in Bulgaria, established in 1991 as a non-profit association representing manufacturers and traders. It is the sole authorized issuer in Bulgaria of GS1 company prefixes and global identification numbers — including GTIN (Global Trade Item Number), GLN (Global Location Number), and SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) — as well as an official Registration Agent for Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) codes under the global GS1 framework.

The organization's product portfolio centers on identification, barcode, and data-sharing standards. Core offerings include GS1 barcode registration and prefix issuance, the BG Barcode product catalog (for products with the Bulgarian 380 prefix, integrated with the global Verified by GS1 platform), and EComGrid — a Bulgarian-certified GDSN data pool built on 1WorldSync technology that enables product data synchronization across trading partners. Supporting services include LEI code issuance and renewal, GS1 Print (a free logistics label application), barcode verification and generation, product photography, and the BG Barcode consumer-facing mobile application supporting both 1D and 2D barcode scanning. The technology stack spans GS1 Digital Link, EDI, GDSN, and integration with the global GS1 Registry Platform containing over 200 million GTINs.

GS1 Bulgaria generates revenue through a tiered membership model: one-time entry fees scaled to company revenue (redenominated in EUR effective January 1, 2026), annual membership fees scaled by number of article types, and service fees for barcode generation, verification, photography, LEI issuance, and GDSN data synchronization, supplemented by GS1 Academy training fees. The organization serves manufacturers, retailers, healthcare providers, logistics operators, and food and beverage companies across Bulgaria, reaching enterprise customers including METRO Cash & Carry Bulgaria, Bella Bulgaria, Colruyt, and CSB-System Bulgaria. Bulgaria's medicines verification system, which performs over 4 million weekly verifications covering 75%+ of prescription medicines, is built on GS1 DataMatrix barcodes.

Name

GS1 Bulgaria

Legal name

СДРУЖЕНИЕ GS1 БЪЛГАРИЯ

Website

https://gs1bg.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GS1 Bulgaria is a non-profit national organization that issues GS1-standard product identification numbers and barcodes, operates the EComGrid GDSN data pool and BG Barcode catalog, and serves Bulgarian manufacturers, retailers, healthcare providers, and logistics companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Product Identification Standards

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Business Registration & Corporate Affairs (Registries) (BPAIAOAA)

Keywords

• Barcode standards
• Supply chain identification
• Product data synchronization
• GTIN barcode issuance
• GS1 standards compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Sofia

HQ country

Bulgaria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees (Annual): Companies pay annual membership fees to GS1 Bulgaria. The annual fee amount depends on the number of article types requiring barcodes. Fees are scaled based on company size and product range.
2. Initial/Membership Entry Fees: One-time initial membership fee determined based on company revenues for the past year. New tariff effective January 1, 2026, with prices now denominated in EUR.
3. Service Fees: Fees for services including barcode generation, barcode verification, product photography, LEI code issuance and renewal, and data synchronization via EComGrid.
4. GS1 Academy Training Fees: Revenue from organizing and delivering training programs on GS1 standards application, conducted online and in-person.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

GS1 Bulgaria is the national not-for-profit member organisation for GS1 in Bulgaria, responsible for issuing GS1 company prefixes, GTIN barcodes, GLN location numbers, and LEI legal entity identifiers to local businesses. It operates the EComGrid GDSN-certified data pool for product data synchronisation and provides the BG Barcode product catalog, barcode verification, training via GS1 Academy, and supporting mobile/print software tools.

Product overview

GS1 Bulgaria is the national organization representing GS1 International in Bulgaria, operating as a non-profit association. The organization offers a portfolio of identification and data services centered on GS1 standards for product identification, barcode systems, and data sharing. The core offerings include GS1 barcode registration (company prefixes and GTIN numbers), the BG Barcode product catalog, and the EComGrid data synchronization service. Supporting services include LEI code issuance, GS1 Print logistics labeling, barcode verification, barcode generation, and product photography. The BG Barcode mobile app enables consumer-facing barcode scanning and product information access. GS1 standards covered include identification numbers (GTIN, GLN, SSCC), barcode symbols (EAN-13, GS1 DataMatrix, GS1-128, ITF-14), and data sharing standards (EDI, GDSN, GS1 Digital Link). The organization serves sectors including retail, healthcare, transport and logistics, and supports emerging requirements such as the Digital Product Passport (DPP).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BG Barcode (БГ Баркод): Product catalog and barcode verification service for products with barcodes starting with 380 (Bulgarian prefix), available via mobile app and web platform
• EComGrid

Products and services

• GS1 Bulgaria Company Prefix (GTIN Barcode Allocation)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 million products have GTIN data in GS1 Registry Platform, enabling verification of product identity globally.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability3 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BottlebookscoreTechnology or Integration · 7 November 2023Partnership between GS1 Bulgaria and the German software company Bottlebooks for implementing EU Regulation 2021/2117 on electronic labels for wines. The partnership enables the use of GS1 Digital Link on wine labels to provide digital product information.
• CIRPASS ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 October 2022GS1 in Europe joined the CIRPASS (Collaborative Initiative for a Standards-based Digital Product Passport) consortium, which brings together leading organizations for developing the European approach to Digital Product Passports. The 18-month project is funded by the European Commission under the Digital Europe Programme, focusing on electronics, batteries, and textiles sectors.
• 1WorldSynccoreTechnology or Integration · 1 July 2021EComGrid, the Bulgarian GDSN-certified data pool, is based on 1WorldSync technology. 1WorldSync is one of the world's leading software developers for product data pools, used in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, Spain, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Australia, and New Zealand.
• GS1 AustriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGS1 Bulgaria and GS1 Austria conduct a mentorship program. From September 13-15, a working meeting was held in Dolna Banya, Bulgaria, as part of the mentorship program between GS1 Bulgaria and GS1 Austria.
• Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (БТПП)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGS1 Bulgaria is closely affiliated with БТПП. The President of БТПП serves as Chairman of GS1 Bulgaria's Board. БТПП publishes EU Commission decisions and GS1 Bulgaria news on behalf of the Bulgarian business community.
• Bulgarian Institute for Standardization (БИС)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerБИС and GS1 Bulgaria co-organize information sessions on Digital Product Passports and standardization topics. БИС represents Bulgaria in CEN/CENELEC and participates in technical committee TK57 for Digital Product Passport standards.
• SoftGroup ADcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoftGroup AD co-organizes information sessions with БИС and GS1 Bulgaria on Digital Product Passports. SoftGroup's Solution Architect presents implementation roadmaps for Digital Product Passports to help Bulgarian companies prepare for new EU requirements.
• Bulgarian Medicines Verification Organization (БОВЛ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerБОВЛ manages the medicines verification system in Bulgaria based on GS1 DataMatrix barcodes. GS1 Bulgaria was recognized for its contribution to the European anti-counterfeiting medicines directive implementation. Weekly over 4 million medicine verifications are performed in Bulgaria.
• GS1 in Europe (49 National Organizations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGS1 Bulgaria is part of GS1 in Europe, which operates through 49 national member organizations covering Europe and Asia, representing more than 500,000 companies. GS1 in Europe holds Regional Forums, working groups, and coordinates standards implementation across the region.
• GS1 AISBLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGS1 Bulgaria is the official representative of Bulgaria in GS1 AISBL and an official Registration Agent for LEI code issuance. GS1 AISBL was awarded 'Best Operational Representation' by GLEIF for LEI code management.
• ColruytminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian retail chain (operating in Belgium, Luxembourg, and France) presented at a GS1 Bulgaria conference on their experience with implementing GS1 DataMatrix symbols for encoding additional product information at point of sale.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GS1 France: French GS1 member organization. Operates the same GTIN/GLN issuance, GDSN data sync, and standards-based services for French manufacturers and retailers; structurally identical to GS1 Bulgaria.
• GS1 UK: UK GS1 member organization. Direct peer offering barcode registration, GDSN data pools, and sector-specific traceability programs; comparable business model and member structure.
• GS1 Austria: Austrian GS1 member organization. Direct peer with which GS1 Bulgaria runs a formal mentorship program; uses 1WorldSync-based data pool technology similar to GS1 Bulgaria's EComGrid.
• GS1 Italy: Italian GS1 member organization. National GS1 issuer with comparable product set (GTIN, GDSN, EDI, healthcare traceability) for Italian manufacturers and the country's large food/beverage sector.
• GS1 Germany: German GS1 member organization. Directly comparable as a national GS1 issuer operating the same GTIN/GLN/LEI/GDSN business model in a much larger market; both serve as regional reference points within the GS1 Europe network.

Broad incumbents

• GS1 AISBL: Global GS1 governing body based in Brussels and the parent organization of GS1 Bulgaria. Operates the global GS1 Registry Platform and Verified by GS1; sets the standards that national organizations issue and commercialize.

Regional players

• Bulgarian Institute for Standardization (BIS / БИС): Bulgarian national standards body representing Bulgaria in CEN/CENELEC. Co-organizes Digital Product Passport information sessions with GS1 Bulgaria; partially overlapping mandate around national-level standardization.

Others

• 1WorldSync: Technology partner underlying GS1 Bulgaria's EComGrid data pool and similar national GDSN data pools across Europe. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, but operates overlapping product information management capabilities.
• Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI / БТПП): Bulgarian national chamber of commerce. Strategic partner and referral source for GS1 Bulgaria — BCCI's Chairman also chairs GS1 Bulgaria's Management Board. Acts as ecosystem channel rather than competitor.
• GLEIF (Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation): Global oversight body for the LEI system. Comparable to GS1 Bulgaria's LEI registration agent function at the system level; GS1 Bulgaria operates as a Registration Agent under the GLEIF framework, so they are ecosystem-linked rather than competitive.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/GS1Bulgaria
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gs1bulgaria
• Xx.com/DIGITALEUROPE

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about GS1 Bulgaria