The European Cluster Collaboration Platform recommends that Cluster Sofia – City of Knowledge monitor and offer its members various funding programmes, grants, and tender opportunities provided by the European Union, Euroclusters, and the ECCP community. Whether our members or partners are start-ups, SMEs, or industrial partners, ECCP connects them with the resources needed to stimulate innovation, collaboration, and growth across the EU. The first Euroclusters have already launched the Financial Support for Third Parties (FSTP), unlocking new EU funding opportunities for SMEs in Europe’s industrial ecosystems.
The INVETech COVE consortium successfully held its third transnational project meeting and study visit in Greece, organized by IDEC S.A., between 10 and 11 February 2026, bringing together the partners in this project to strengthen cooperation, exchange experiences, and develop innovations in vocational education and training (VET).
During two intensive days, the partners reviewed the progress of the project and planned the next steps on key work packages, including:
The INVESTechproject is entering its third year.
Pursuing its goal of creating a transnational platform (network) of five National Centres of Excellence in VET (Bulgaria, Greece, Slovakia, Cyprus, and Latvia), 18 organisations carried out significant research and preparatory work for the learning process in VET.
The models for the national centres have been developed, the framework and skeleton of the transnational platform have been created, and a large part of the methodological tools to be used in the upcoming training and certification activities of COVEs is ready. And most importantly, the methodological framework has been developed to build a broad network of organisations in Europe interested in this project.
Yesterday, February 5, 2026, a workshop was held at the Iliev Center for Education and Culture on the topic "The Cluster as a Tool for Innovation and Project Expansion in 2026". The event brought together members and partners of the cluster, as well as leading experts, to consider the organization's path in 2026 for a stronger presence on the European technology map through the themes of Sofia and the highlights of European funding.
A special guest at the meeting was Assoc: Prof. Dr. Boyan Zhekov, National Coordinator of the Horizon Europe program.
