Partners Bulgaria Foundation

What Partners Bulgaria Foundation does

Partners Bulgaria Foundation (PBF) is a Bulgarian non-profit foundation established in 1998 and headquartered in Sofia, with a lean team of approximately 5 employees. Its mission centres on conflict resolution, mediation, child rights and protection, civic education, and peacebuilding, delivered through five programmatic areas: Conflict Resolution and Mediation, Child Rights and Child Protection, Community Development, Education in Citizenship and Human Rights, and Peacebuilding and International Development. Operating assets include a Ministry of Justice-registered Mediation Center, an Education Center, and resource/child centres in Dupnitsa and Samokov.

PBF's core products and underlying methodology are built around the solution-focused brief therapy approach adapted from Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg, combined with a Conflict Sensitivity Analysis framework applied across conflict resolution, school programmes, and international peacebuilding. The foundation produces a portfolio of structured educational assets including the Conflict Resolution Trilogy (a registered three-level curriculum for primary, secondary, and upper schools), the Kids' Skills Method (15-step methodology), Solution-Focused Education, the Friendship Cards emotional competence tool, the Restorative Practices in Schools programme, and an Innovative Methods for Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship course approved by the Ministry of Education. It also publishes a Media Literacy programme identifier 52750002 and runs accredited professional mediator training (60 hours, Ministry of Justice Order ЛС-04-901/28.11.2007). The foundation is ISO 9001:2015 certified.

Revenue is generated primarily through international project grants from institutional donors (USAID, Open Society Foundations, European Commission, European Social Fund, UK Embassy, OAK Foundation, King Bouduin Foundation, Matra Program/Netherlands Embassy, Save the Children Alliance, National Association of Mediators) supporting programmes in child protection, mediation, youth employment, and peacebuilding internationally. Secondary revenue comes from earned-income streams: professional mediator training fees (360 EUR standard, 300 EUR for students), seminar participation fees (60 BGN for Friendship Cards sessions), and book sales (Conflict Resolution Trilogy at 30 BGN for the set, 10 BGN per book). Distribution runs through the Sofia headquarters for in-person training and mediation, Zoom-based seminars, email-order publication fulfilment via Econt courier, and international project consortia with partners in Italy, Greece, Lebanon, Yemen, Jordan, and Central Asia.

Name

Partners Bulgaria Foundation

Legal name

Фондация "Партньори – България"

Website

https://partnersbg.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Partners Bulgaria Foundation is a Bulgarian non-profit founded in 1998 that delivers conflict resolution, mediation, child protection, and youth employment programmes domestically and internationally, serving children, educators, citizens, and NEET youth through accredited training, mediation services, and a portfolio of educational publications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mediation and Conflict Resolution Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Conflict resolution services
• Mediation training programs
• Child protection services
• Civic education programs
• Youth employment programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Sofia

HQ country

Bulgaria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Training Course Fees: The foundation charges fees for professional mediator training (360 EUR standard, 300 EUR for students) and educational seminars (60 BGN for Friendship Cards seminars including materials and certificate). Revenue is generated from professional development programs for mediators, educators, and social workers.
2. Publications and Book Sales: Sale of educational publications including the Conflict Resolution Trilogy (30 BGN for all three books; 10 BGN per individual book), and other manuals. Books are available for order via email with payment by bank transfer.
3. International Project Funding: Primary revenue source from international donors including USAID, Open Society Institute, European Commission, European Social Fund, UK Embassy, King Bouduin Foundation, OAK Foundation, Matra Program (Netherlands Embassy), and others. Funding supports specific social programs in child protection, conflict resolution, mediation, and youth development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Partners Bulgaria Foundation is a non-profit foundation that delivers mediation services, accredited professional mediator training, conflict resolution curricula for schools, child protection programs, youth employment initiatives, and civic education publications. Its core offerings include the Mediation Center (extrajudicial dispute resolution), the 60-hour Ministry of Justice-approved Professional Mediator Training Program, and the Conflict Resolution Trilogy (a three-level school curriculum for primary, secondary, and upper school). The foundation also publishes educational materials, conducts research, and implements international development projects in conflict-affected regions.

Product overview

Partners Bulgaria Foundation operates as a civil society organization offering a portfolio of educational programs, training courses, publications, and mediation services. The core offerings include the Conflict Resolution Trilogy (a three-level publication series for primary, secondary, and upper schools teaching positive communication and conflict resolution), the Mediation Center providing certified mediators for various dispute types, and the Professional Mediator Training Program (60-hour Ministry of Justice-approved course). Additional offerings include the Kids' Skills Method (solution-focused child development approach), Solution Focused Education, the Friendship Cards (emotional competence tool), media literacy training programs, and the PRODIGY project for youth digital skills. The organization also conducts research, publishes educational materials on child rights, and implements various social programs through its five focus areas: Conflict Resolution and Mediation, Child Rights and Child Protection, Social Inclusion, Education in Citizenship and Human Rights, and Peacebuilding and International Development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mediation Centre: Extrajudicial dispute resolution centre providing mediation services for various types of disputes including community conflicts, school conflicts, commercial disputes, and family disputes.
• Centre for the Rights of the Child

Products and services

• Mediation Center (Център по медиация) Extrajudicial dispute resolution service providing certified mediators for community, school, commercial, family, and cross-border disputes; serves citizens, families, businesses, courts, and organizations.
• Professional Mediator Training Program 60-hour accredited training program approved by the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice, leading to registration in the Unified Register of Mediators; for aspiring mediators, educators, social workers, and legal professionals.
• Conflict Resolution Trilogy (Трилогия „Разрешаване на конфликти в училище") Solution-oriented three-book publication series teaching children positive communication and effective conflict resolution; targeted at primary, secondary, and upper school students and the educators who work with them. Includes "Classroom without Conflicts" (primary), "Conflict Management in Middle School" (secondary), and "Conflict Management in High School" (upper school).
• Friendship Cards (Карти „Приятелство") Educational card tool for developing emotional competence and conflict resolution skills in children, used in schools and therapeutic sessions with children and families; paired with a 60 BGN seminar.
• Innovative Methods for Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship Ministry of Education and Science-approved (identifier 52750002) interactive 16-hour training program for developing critical thinking and media literacy skills, including identification of disinformation, fake news, conspiracy theories, and cybersecurity awareness.
• Kids' Skills Method 15-step solution-focused methodology (based on Ben Furman's work) for helping children develop new skills rather than correcting unwanted behavior; for educators, psychologists, parents, and child care professionals.
• Solution Focused Education Publication and methodology translating solution-focused brief therapy ideas into pedagogy, based on Swedish pedagogists Kerstin Måhlberg and Maud Sjöblom; for educators, pedagogues, and child development professionals.
• Restorative Practices in Schools Program Program for building safe school environments through restorative practices, enhancing schools' capacity to resolve problems and prevent violence; for school administrators, teachers, and pedagogical counselors.
• PRODIGY Project (Promoting Digital and Green Skills for Youth) EU-funded project providing free training, internships, and mentoring in digital skills, web design, data analysis, social media marketing, and ecological practices to NEET youth aged 15-29 in Blagoevgrad and Gotse Delchev, Bulgaria; delivered in consortium with partners from Italy and Greece.

Quantifiable outcome

• Model for children with emotional/behavioural difficulties implemented in 7 municipalities
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Save the Children International Alliance (Sweden, Norway, Italy, UK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term collaboration since PBF's founding in 1998. Includes co-founding the first Centre for the Rights of the Child in Sofia (2000) with Save the Children Sweden, national surveys on child trafficking with Save the Children Italy (2004-2008, supported by European Commission), child protection campaigns with Save the Children UK, and consortium work on trafficking prevention with Save the Children Norway.
• PartnersNetwork (Partners Global)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPBF is a member of the global Partners Network, connecting Bulgarian civil society work with international partners and best practices in peacebuilding and civic engagement.
• European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPBF is a member of the EPLO network, contributing to European peacebuilding policy and connecting with international peacebuilding organizations across the EU.
• DARE Network (Democracy and Human Rights Education in Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPBF is a member of the DARE network focused on human rights education and civic education. Collaborates on European seminars, youth projects, and the DIYW ROAD project on digital youth work, coordinated by DARE member Arbeitskreis deutscher Bildungsstätten.
• Adecco Bulgaria (The Adecco Group)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership in the PRODIGY project. Adecco Bulgaria provides its talent sourcing platforms and expertise to connect NEET youth with employers through internship positions. Aims to support 240 NEET youth aged 15-29 in Bulgaria, Italy, and Greece.
• Fondazione L'Albero della Vita (Italy)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in PRODIGY project (Promoting Digital and Green Skills for Youth) alongside partners from Italy and Greece. Contributed methodology for supporting children left behind by parents working abroad, supported by Fondazione Albero de la Vita.
• Fondazione Mondo Digitale (Italy)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in PRODIGY project, contributing expertise in digital skills and technology-enhanced education for youth employment across Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria.
• Università degli Studi Roma Tre (Italy)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch university partner in PRODIGY project contributing academic expertise on digital literacy, green skills, and youth labour market integration.
• Terre des hommescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on study of children victims of trafficking in Sliven, Nova Zagora, and Pazardzhik (2015), working with the Embassy of the Republic of France in Bulgaria.
• National Association of Mediators (Bulgaria)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPBF is a co-founder of the National Association of Mediators, actively participating in policy initiatives to improve mediation and regulate the mediator profession. Organised the 'Mediation by the Sea' conference (September 2023, Pomorie) with the Professional Association of Mediators.
• State Agency for Child Protection (Bulgaria)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner on national Safer Internet Campaign, recognition of PBF's Model for Children with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, and membership in the National Council under the Agency. PBF holds a license as a social services provider for children from the Agency.
• Adecco ItalyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner in PRODIGY project providing expertise in talent sourcing and placement across Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Alert: Leading peacebuilding NGO working on conflict sensitivity, mediation training, and security-sector reform across Europe, MENA, and Central Asia. Highly comparable to PBF's conflict analysis, conflict sensitivity methodology, and international development work in Lebanon, Yemen, Jordan, and Central Asia.
• Conciliation Resources: International peacebuilding organization specializing in conflict sensitivity, dialogue, and mediation, with active programs in the Caucasus, Balkans, and Central Asia. Strong overlap with PBF's conflict sensitivity analysis methodology and EU-funded peacebuilding work.
• National Association of Mediators (Bulgaria): Bulgarian professional association of which PBF is a co-founder, jointly organizing events such as the 'Mediation by the Sea' conference. Direct peer for mediation policy advocacy and professional mediator training within Bulgaria.
• Search for Common Ground: Global conflict resolution NGO operating in 30+ countries including Lebanon, Yemen, and the Balkans, focused on mediation, dialogue, and peace education. Direct peer to PBF on peacebuilding, school-based conflict resolution curricula, and international mediation training.
• Terre des hommes Foundation: Swiss-headquartered child-protection NGO active in Bulgaria and across Eastern Europe, collaborating with PBF on trafficking studies and child welfare programming. Operates in similar thematic space (children at risk, child protection systems, EU/Balkan delivery).
• PartnersNetwork (Partners Global): Global network of independent locally-rooted civil society organizations of which PBF is a member, focused on peacebuilding, civic participation, and cross-border collaboration. Closest structural peer given shared methodology and joint international programs.
• DARE Network (Democracy and Human Rights Education in Europe): European network of which PBF is a member, focused on human rights education and civic education, including the DIYW ROAD project on digital youth work. Direct peer for human rights education, civic education, and EU-funded youth policy work.

Emerging players

• OAK Foundation: Philanthropic foundation that has funded PBF's Model for Children with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (2006-2016). Adjacent relationship (funder, not operator), but comparable thematic scope on child protection and vulnerable children.
• King Baudouin Foundation: Belgian public utility foundation that supported PBF's child abandonment prevention program across four Bulgarian cities. Adjacent peer given shared grantmaking function for community and child welfare causes across Europe.

Broad incumbents

• Save the Children International: Global child-rights NGO that has been PBF's longest-running strategic partner since 1998, including co-founding the Centre for the Rights of the Child in Sofia. Comparable on child protection, child trafficking prevention, and children's rights programming globally, though operating at vastly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@partnersbulgariafoundation9482
• Facebookfacebook.com/100064729054887
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/partners-bulgaria-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/partnersbulgariafoundation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Partners Bulgaria Foundation