{"id":8886,"date":"2026-01-26T15:32:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T15:32:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cua-sozopol.com\/blue-heritage-innovators-entrepreneurial-mentoring-programme\/"},"modified":"2026-01-26T17:26:39","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T17:26:39","slug":"blue-heritage-innovators-entrepreneurial-mentoring-programme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cua-sozopol.com\/en\/blue-heritage-innovators-entrepreneurial-mentoring-programme\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue Heritage Innovators &#8211; Entrepreneurial Mentoring Programme"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Empowering sustainable tourism, protection and innovation in underwater cultural heritage<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Programme Overview (organized by the Bulgarian HUB under BCThubs project <a href=\"https:\/\/bcthubs.eu\/\">(bcthubs.eu)<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Blue Heritage Innovators Entrepreneurial Mentoring Programme is a 12-week hybrid programme designed to support the creation and growth of innovative projects and early-stage startups focused on underwater cultural heritage (UCH).<br\/><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The programme guides participants through idea validation, business development and impact assessment, preparing projects to become investment-ready and to contribute meaningfully to the blue cultural economy. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Objective<br\/>To support innovative initiatives in the following focus areas:<\/p>\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Tourism development related to underwater cultural heritage<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maintenance and protection of underwater cultural heritage<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Innovative solutions in blue culture and digital transformation<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Programme Details<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Duration: 12 weeks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Programme Start: 26 February 2026<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Format: Hybrid (online mentoring, in-person bootcamp, final pitch event)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Languages: English and Bulgarian<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Participation Fee: Free of charge<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Target Participants<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The programme is open to:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Entrepreneurs, startups, researchers, students, divers, and cultural heritage professionals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Teams of 2\u20135 participants or motivated individuals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Applicants with innovative ideas aligned with one or more of the programme\u2019s thematic focus areas<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thematic Focus Areas<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">1. Sustainable Tourism &amp; Cultural Heritage Experience<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Responsible tourism linked to underwater sites and coastal heritage<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eco-friendly diving and cultural routes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Digital experiences (AR\/VR tours, virtual museums, 3D reconstructions)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Community-based tourism involving coastal towns<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">2. Maintenance &amp; Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Monitoring and conservation technologies for underwater sites<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Data collection and mapping (GIS, photogrammetry, robotics)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Environmental protection of maritime ecosystems linked to heritage<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Training programmes for divers and heritage professionals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">3. Innovative Solutions for Blue Culture<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Blue economy innovations combining culture, science, and technology<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Digital tools and platforms for education, storytelling, and dissemination<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Circular and sustainable materials or practices in maritime industries<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Partnerships between creative industries and marine research<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Core Workshops and Mentoring Model<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Weekly online sessions focused on thematic and practical skill-building\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Schedule: Every Thursday, 16:00\u201318:00 (EET), starting 26 February 2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ongoing mentor consultations available throughout the full duration of the programme<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each participating team is assigned two dedicated mentors:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Heritage Mentor \u2013 expert in archaeology, diving, or conservation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Business Mentor \u2013 expert in entrepreneurship and startup development<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In-Person Bootcamp<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Location: Bulgarian BCT Hub, Sozopol<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Duration: 2 days (early May 2026)<br\/><br\/>Programme Format:<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Day 1: Interactive sessions on scaling projects, funding opportunities, and stakeholder engagement<br\/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Day 2: Final Pitch Event and networking with local stakeholders, including tourism boards, cultural institutions, investors, and municipalities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Optional Side Activity:<br\/>Guided dive or coastal heritage visit to connect participants with real-world sites.<br\/><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Accommodation:<br\/>Free shore-based, self-catering accommodation is provided for programme participants during the bootcamp.<br\/><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Awards &amp; Recognition<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Non-Monetary Awards:<\/p>\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Best Tourism Experience Project<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Best Innovation in Protection &amp; Maintenance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Most Innovative Digital Solution in Blue Culture<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Audience Choice Award<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All participants will receive:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A certificate of completion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Inclusion in the Bulgarian BCT Hub <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For questions or additional information, please contact: <a href=\"mailto:cuasozopol@abv.bg\">cuasozopol@gmail.<\/a>com <br\/>Apply for the Programme until February 15th, 2026 by filling in the<a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSd0L5lCafSEAw5vUmkdLN5LeUjEY61yAZQqR8AnLfZoh1gNkA\/viewform\"> Questionnaire<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Empowering sustainable tourism, protection and innovation in underwater cultural heritage Programme Overview (organized by the Bulgarian HUB under BCThubs project (bcthubs.eu) The Blue Heritage Innovators Entrepreneurial Mentoring Programme is a 12-week hybrid programme designed to support the creation and growth of innovative projects and early-stage startups focused on underwater cultural heritage (UCH). The programme guides [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8882,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[94],"tags":[112,106],"class_list":["post-8886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-bcthubs-en","tag-seminar-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cua-sozopol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cua-sozopol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cua-sozopol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cua-sozopol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cua-sozopol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8886"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cua-sozopol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8886\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8887,"href":"https:\/\/cua-sozopol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8886\/revisions\/8887"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cua-sozopol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8882"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cua-sozopol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cua-sozopol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cua-sozopol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}