Join us for a market briefings on Thursday, November 21 at 11:00AM Eastern.
Explore Southeast Europe’s Energy Sector:
Led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Europe and Eurasia David De Falco, this trade mission will connect U.S. companies with potential partners and customers in Southeast Europe, where governments are investing in clean energy to achieve climate neutrality and enhance energy security.
What to expect:
Participants will gain insights into market trends, establish valuable industry contacts, and develop market-entry or expansion strategies. The program includes tailored business appointments, meetings with industry leaders and government officials, and networking opportunities, all supported by ITA’s expert Commercial Service teams.
Why Southeast Europe?
Bulgaria's energy market offers significant opportunities for U.S. companies, with $3.7 billion in energy storage and other investments planned between now and 2030.
Romania’s energy sector offers opportunities to access up to $905 million in clean energy grants, along with EU funding for energy distribution system upgrades.
Serbia's clean energy sector presents opportunities for U.S. businesses with over $16 billion in investments expected in wind, solar, nuclear, storage, and network upgrades.
For more information, please contact:
Leticia Arias
International Trade Specialist
U.S. Event Lead
Leticia.Arias@trade.gov
Hannah Kamenetsky
Senior Commercial Officer
U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria
Hannah.Kamenetsky@trade.gov
Join us for a live market briefing from U.S. Commercial Service experts on Thursday, November 21 at 11:00AM Eastern.
Register here.
Sunday, March 16
Trade mission participants arrive in Sofia, Bulgaria
Afternoon welcome event
Monday, March 17
Welcome breakfast
Country briefing by U.S. Embassy Sofia team
Customized business meetings with potential buyers/partners and government decision makers
Closing reception with government and business contacts
Tuesday, March 18
Morning flight to Bucharest, Romania
Country briefing by U.S. Embassy Bucharest team
Welcome reception
Wednesday, March 19
Customized business meetings with potential buyers/partners and government decision makers
Closing reception with government and business contacts
Thursday, March 20
Morning flight to Belgrade, Serbia
Welcome Lunch
Friday, March 21
Customized business meetings with potential buyers/partners and government decision makers
Closing reception
Departure
*Note: The final shedule and potential site visits will depend on the availability of host government and business officials, specific goals of mission participants, and ground transportation.
After a firm or trade association has been selected to participate in the mission, a payment to the Department of Commerce in the form of a participation fee is required. The participation fee will be:
Small or medium firms:* $4,920.00
Large firms or trade associations: $6,950.00
Each additional firm representative: $1,000.00
Fees and other expenses may be eleigible for reimbursement through your state's STEP Grant. Learn more: Directory of STEP awardees | U.S. Small Business Administration (sba.gov)
Participants selected for a trade mission will be expected to pay for the cost of personal expenses, including, but not limited to, international travel, lodging, meals, transportation, communication, and incidentals, unless otherwise noted. Participants will, however, be able to take advantage of U.S. Government rates for hotel rooms. In the event that a mission is canceled, no personal expenses paid in anticipation of a mission will be reimbursed. However, participation fees for a canceled mission will be reimbursed to the extent they have not already been expended in anticipation of the mission.
If a visa is required to travel on a particular mission, applying for and obtaining such a visa will be the responsibility of the mission participant. Government fees and processing expenses to obtain such a visa are not included in the participation fee. However, the Department of Commerce will provide instructions to each participant on the procedures required to obtain business visas.
Trade Mission members participate in trade missions and undertake mission-related travel at their own risk. The nature of the security situation in a given foreign market at a given time cannot be guaranteed. The U.S. Government does not make any representations or guarantees as to the safety or security of participants. The U.S. Department of State issues U.S. Government international travel alerts and warnings for U.S. citizens available at https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings.html. Any question regarding insurance coverage must be resolved by the participant and its insurer of choice.
Travel and in-person activities are contingent upon the safety and health conditions in the United States and the mission countries. Should safety or health conditions not be appropriate for travel and/or in-person activities, the Department will consider postponing the event or offering a virtual program in lieu of an in-person agenda. In the event of a postponement, the Department will notify the public, and applicants previously selected to participate in this mission will need to confirm their availability but need not reapply. Should the decision be made to organize a virtual program, the Department will adjust fees, accordingly, prepare an agenda for virtual activities, and notify the previously selected applicants with the option to opt-in to the new virtual program.
*For purposes of assessing participation fees, an applicant is a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) if it qualifies as a “small business” under the Small Business Administration's (SBA) size standards ( https://www.sba.gov/document/support--table-size-standards), which vary by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code. The SBA Size Standards Tool ( https://www.sba.gov/size-standards) can help you determine the qualifications that apply to your company.
Application Deadline: February 10, 2025
Mission recruitment will be conducted in an open and public manner, including publication in the Federal Register, posting on the Commerce Department trade mission calendar and other internet websites, press releases to general and trade media, direct mail, notices by industry trade associations and other multiplier groups, and publicity at industry meetings, symposia, conferences, and trade shows.
Recruitment for the mission will begin immediately and conclude no later than February 10, 2025. The U.S. Department of Commerce will review applications and inform applicants of selection decisions on a rolling basis. Applications received after February 10, 2025, will be considered only if space and scheduling constraints permit.
Applicants must submit a completed and signed mission application and supplemental application materials, including adequate information on their products and/or services, primary market objectives, and goals for participation that is adequate to allow the Department of Commerce to evaluate their application. If the Department of Commerce receives an incomplete application, the Department may either: reject the application, request additional information/clarification, or take the lack of information into account when evaluating the application. If the requisite minimum number of participants is not selected for a particular mission by the recruitment deadline, the mission may be canceled.
Each applicant must also certify that the products and services it seeks to export through the mission are either produced in the United States, or, if not, are marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and have at least fifty-one percent U.S. content by value. In the case of a trade association or organization, the applicant must certify that, for each firm or service provider to be represented by the association/organization, the products and/or services the represented firm or service provider seeks to export are either produced in the United States or, if not, marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and have at least 51% U.S. content by value.
A trade association/organization applicant must certify to the above for all of the companies it seeks to represent on the mission.
In addition, each applicant must:
In the case of a trade association/organization, the applicant must certify that each firm or service provider to be represented by the association/organization can make the above certifications.
Targeted mission participants are U.S. firms, services providers, and trade associations/organizations providing or promoting U.S. products and services that have an interest in entering or expanding their business in the mission's destination country. The following criteria will be evaluated in selecting participants:
Balance of company size and location may also be considered during the review process. Referrals from a political party or partisan political group or any information, including on the application, containing references to political contributions or other partisan political activities will be excluded from the application and will not be considered during the selection process. The sender will be notified of these exclusions.
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