The call for applications has been closed. Check the timeline of the program for further information.

• Bulgarian citizens with a university degree, living and working in Bulgaria
• Bulgarian professionals from the public, private, and NGO sectors with ideas to improve local communities and/or Bulgaria
• Fluency in English (as the program is conducted in English without interpretation)
• Up to 40 years of age as of 07 November 2022
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience
• No prior undergraduate or postgraduate study in the United States
• High personal and professional integrity
• Critical thinking, an open and experimental mindset, strong interpersonal skills, and ability to work in a team.

Note: Those who have participated in other ABF-funded programs in the US are not eligible.

The selected group of up to 15 participants will spend a total of 16 days in the United States – twelve days at Babson College in Boston, MA, for leadership training and four days in New York City for cultural immersion – two at the beginning and two at the end of the program. The program includes workshops on:

• Motivation — why people do what they do.
• Influence skills – how to engage with and influence different kinds of people.
• Collaboration/stakeholder engagement — working well with others.
• Negotiation — getting people to work with you through appealing to the core concerns and motives.
• Personal development planning — how to get better results and how to contribute to the group and its goals.
• Solving complex problems — understanding that even the most complex problems are solvable with diverse groups working together.
• Building collective goals — participants will work on setting ambitious goals and how to work together to address a communal goal.
• Sessions with specially selected guest speakers and leaders from the US public (government), private, nonprofit sectors, and academia.
• Sessions on: System Thinking, Advancing Ideas, Leading with Empathy, Leading through Relationships, Incorporating a Bottoms-Up Approach, Managing One’s Self, Enrolling Communities in Innovation, Innovation during Good Time and Bad, Storytelling with Pathos, Ethos and Logos, etc.
• A module on democratic values — where participants take on the role of a US Senator or Representative in a simulation and engage in a Conference Committee, the process of reconciling legislative bills from the two chambers of Congress. As the participants consider issues of policy, they learn fundamental concepts of successful negotiation aimed at identifying areas of common interest and expanding beneficial outcomes.
• Prior to arrival in the US, participants will choose one of three professional tracks (Entrepreneurship, Management, or Marketing), where each track will offer a module in Governance, exploring the role of a board in helping all forms of organizations achieve their full potential as well as determining what to consider when establishing a board.
• Cultural Immersion Program in New York and Boston.

The key selection criteria are:

• Demonstrated leadership potential
• Demonstrated strong civic and community engagement
• Demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit and clear sense of purpose
• Demonstrated vision of how to personally effect positive change in Bulgaria upon return (e.g. in the applicant’s local community or in their field of work, etc.)

The Applicants will be selected by the America for Bulgaria Foundation (ABF) and Babson College, USA.

A four-stage evaluation is planned as follows:

• Stage 1: Review of submitted applications, eligibility check, and shortlisting of applicants to be interviewed by the ABF selection committee.
• Stage 2: Video Interviews with shortlisted applicants and selection of up to 40 participants for a two-hour virtual training module led by Babson College Faculty*.
• Stage 3: Participation in a two-hour virtual training module led by Babson College Faculty, ending with an individual assignment and receipt of a leadership assessment for each participant by Babson College.
• Stage 4: Final selection of up to 15 participants who will travel to the US for the 16-day LEAP program at Babson College.

*The goal of the two-hour virtual training module is to expose a larger pool of participants to the expertise of the Babson College Faculty and introduce more people to the concepts of simultaneously creating social and economic value and the Entrepreneurial Thought & Action Methodology (“ET&A”). ET&A is a methodology that teaches participants to balance action, experimentation, and creativity with a deep understanding of business fundamentals and analysis to create maximum economic and social value. In addition to the new knowledge delivered by a premier educational institution such as Babson College, every participant in the virtual module will receive an individual assessment of his/her leadership skills by Babson College. The maximum size of an effective group for the virtual training module is up to 20 participants; hence, two sessions on two days will be held.

Applicants are required to submit an Application Form. The 40 Candidates passing the second stage of evaluation (selected for participation in the virtual training module led by Babson Faculty after online video interviews) will need to provide contact information of two References who might be contacted by members of the Selection Committee for a reference.

The America for Bulgaria Foundation covers all costs associated with the program, including tuition and study materials, international airfare and domestic travel in the US, accommodation, meals, organized cultural immersion activities, emergency health insurance, US visa fee. 

In order to travel to the US, the selected participants must possess or obtain an US B1/B2 visa. Applicants do not have to possess a US visa to apply for the program. Selected participants who do not possess a valid US B1/B2 visa can apply after being selected for the US program. The America for Bulgaria Foundation will reimburse the US visa fee.

As per current US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requirements, all non-US citizens, non-US immigrants (not a US citizen, US national, lawful permanent resident, or traveling to the United States on an immigrant visa) must be fully vaccinated with the primary series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine to travel to the United States by plane, and only limited exceptions apply. This is subject to change by the US Government, and participants must comply with all applicable requirements at the time of travel. Latest updates on air travel requirements for non-US citizens can be found here: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information – US Embassy in Bulgaria (usembassy.gov)

All selected participants for the US program must attend a pre-departure orientation in Sofia, which will be held a few weeks prior to departure to the US. In addition, prior to departure, every selected participant will have a 1- to 1.5-hour individual interview with assessors appointed by Babson College to define the level of the group and customize the content of the Program. The interviews will focus on the individual leadership skills of the participants particularly as they relate to collaboration and influence. During the Leadership Development Module in Boston, each participant will meet with an assessor/coach to discuss the results.

Upon return from the United States, participants will be encouraged to implement the acquired knowledge and skills for the public good in Bulgaria and the local community where the participants work and/or live. The Foundation will provide opportunities for the LEAP program participants to stay connected and to network with professionals in their area(s) of interest, including business, local government, and civil society leaders and organizations.