Services · Sofia, Bulgaria
Commercial representation and intermediation in Bulgaria
We represent foreign companies on the Bulgarian market and Bulgarian companies abroad. Presence on the ground, management of relations with customers and suppliers, attendance at negotiations, intermediation between the parties. The mandate is in writing and the scope is defined before work begins.
What it includes
The service is a continuous presence on the ground, not an occasional intervention. The items below are the same ones that appear in the written mandate: what is not listed is not included.
Local presence and operational contact point
A fixed point of reference in Sofia for your Bulgarian counterparts: telephone number and e-mail staffed in Italian, English and Bulgarian, receipt of paper correspondence addressed to your attention at the company's offices, scanned and forwarded within one working day. A registered office address for a newly incorporated company is a separate matter and falls under market entry in Bulgaria.
Management of relations with customers and suppliers
Continuous contact with counterparts on the ground: chasing orders, checking progress, requesting and comparing quotations, handling first-level complaints. Every material exchange is recorded in an activity log, which we send you each month.
Attendance at negotiations
Attendance, in person or by video call, at meetings, plant visits, site inspections and trade fairs in Bulgaria. Within two working days you receive a written note: points discussed, commitments made by each party, matters left open, next step and deadline.
Intermediation and search for counterparts
Identification and initial screening of distributors, suppliers, sub-suppliers and customers, in Bulgaria or abroad. For each name we provide a record setting out identifying details, business purpose, year of incorporation, registered office, contact person and the reasons why we propose or exclude it.
Documentary checks on counterparts
Checks on public sources only: registration with the Targovski registar i registar na YULNTS (Commercial Register and Register of Non-Profit Legal Entities), powers of representation and signature, published annual accounts, open insolvency proceedings, and VAT registration under the ZDDS (Bulgarian Value Added Tax Act). This is a documentary check: it is neither a certification report nor a legal opinion.
Correspondence and documents in three languages
Working translation of correspondence, offers and current commercial documents between Italian, English and Bulgarian, and preparation of presentation materials in Bulgarian. Sworn translations, legalisations and apostilles are commissioned from authorised translators and notaries, appointed by you and at your expense.
How it is carried out
Five stages. Each one closes with a written document, so that at any moment it is clear who did what.
01 · Initial meeting and definition of the scope
A meeting of about an hour: what you sell or buy, in which territory, which counterparts you already deal with, which decisions remain entirely yours. The outcome is a written note setting out the proposed scope and the list of excluded activities.
02 · Written mandate
The mandate states territory, sectors and products, activities included, signature limits, duration, notice of termination, fee and reporting frequency. Without a signed mandate we contact no counterpart in your name.
03 · Operational start
You provide price lists, technical data sheets and terms of sale. We prepare the presentation in Bulgarian, the list of parties to be contacted in order of priority and the schedule for the first two weeks. The list is approved by you before the first contact.
04 · Day-to-day activity and reporting
Daily management of contacts and a written monthly report: activities carried out, meetings held, status of every open negotiation, documented expenses, and matters requiring a decision from you, with the date by which an answer is needed.
05 · Periodic review
Every six months we review together the scope, the list of counterparts handled, the fee and the usefulness of the local presence. If the service is no longer needed in the agreed form, we say so, and the mandate is amended or closed.
What we need from you
Material required before the start. If anything is missing, we tell you before the mandate is signed, not afterwards.
- Details of the appointing company — An up-to-date company registry extract, articles of association or instrument of incorporation, details of the legal representative and signing powers, VAT number and VIES registration if intra-Community trade is envisaged.
- Offer and terms of sale — Price lists, technical data sheets, delivery terms (Incoterms), payment terms, delivery times, minimum quantities and the negotiating margin you authorise us to quote to counterparts.
- Scope and existing relationships — Territory and sectors assigned, list of the counterparts you handle yourselves, exclusive rights already granted to third parties. This serves to avoid overlaps and later disputes.
- A contact person with decision-making authority — A person able to answer on price, quantity and timing, and the maximum time within which they reply. Without such a contact, negotiations stall and the local presence loses its usefulness.
- Usable materials — Logo, product images, texts approved for commercial use. If they do not exist in English or Bulgarian, we prepare them and submit them for your approval before use.
- Product compliance — Declarations of conformity, safety data sheets, certifications and any sector permit required by Bulgarian and European law for placing your products on the market.
- Written authority for the acts you ask us to perform — Any activity that commits your name requires a specific authority, limited in subject matter and in value, granted in writing and in the form prescribed by Bulgarian law.
Limits of the service
The following is not included. Some activities are reserved to authorised professionals, whom you appoint directly: in that case we collect the documents and maintain the contacts, but we do not sign and we do not act in their place.
- We do not sign in your name — We do not sign contracts, orders or binding commitments except under a written authority, specific and limited to a single act. Without such authority the proposal is brought to you and the decision remains yours.
- No legal assistance — Drafting and reviewing contracts, opinions, formal notices, recovery of sums due and representation in proceedings are matters for authorised lawyers appointed by you.
- No tax or accounting advice — Returns, VAT, obligations towards the NAP (National Revenue Agency) and assessments of a taxable presence in Bulgaria are handled by a qualified schetovoditel (accountant) or by a tax adviser appointed by you.
- No handling of funds — We do not collect payments due to you and we do not hold third-party funds. Payments remain direct between you and the counterpart, through the bank accounts held by each party.
- No guarantee of commercial results — We do not promise a number of contracts, a sales volume or closing times. The fee remunerates the agreed activity; any component linked to the conclusion of a deal exists only if written into the mandate.
- No implied exclusivity — Territorial or sector exclusivity exists only if agreed in writing. In its absence we may represent other companies, provided they are not in direct competition with you on the same product and territory: the check is made before any new mandate is accepted.
- No recruitment or personnel management — Hiring, employment contracts and obligations towards the Labour Inspectorate fall outside the service and are dealt with by third-party professionals.
Scope
The representation is commercial: it concerns relations with customers, suppliers and counterparts, not acts reserved to regulated professions, nor legal representation before the courts.
We do not hold client funds, we do not manage assets on behalf of third parties, and we carry out no reserved activities. The information published on this page is general in nature and does not constitute legal or tax advice.
The full scope of what the company does and does not do is set out in scope of activity.
Frequently asked questions
Can you sign contracts in our place?
Only under a specific written authority, limited in subject matter and in value, granted for the single act. The granting and revocation of a power of attorney follow Bulgarian law and, where the act requires it, the signature must be certified by a notary. In all other cases we negotiate, minute the discussion and submit the text to you: you sign.
Do we need to incorporate a company in Bulgaria in order to be represented?
No. A commercial representation mandate also works for a foreign company with no local structure. If operations grow to the point of requiring a warehouse, staff or local invoicing, the assessment should be made with your tax adviser; incorporation is dealt with under market entry in Bulgaria.
Which languages do you work in, and what are your response times?
Italian, English and Bulgarian. Current correspondence within one working day, notes of meetings within two working days, the report by the fifth working day of the following month. The company operates on Sofia time (EET/EEST), one hour ahead of Italy.
How is the fee built up?
A monthly retainer for the local presence and recurring activities, plus separate items for specific engagements agreed in advance (travel outside Sofia, trade fairs, extended searches for counterparts). Out-of-pocket expenses are reimbursed only if documented. All items are stated in the mandate before work begins: we raise no charges that were not agreed.
If Bulgaria is on the table, let's start with the right question.
Describe the situation. We reply telling you whether it falls within our scope and how we would proceed.