The Institute of Entrepreneurship was established in 2017 in accordance with the new Higher Education Act and is a successor of the established in 1997 Institute of Entrepreneurship Development, the latter being a pioneer in research and consulting in the field of entrepreneurship and SMEs in Bulgaria

The new institute also integrates the academic functions that have been performed since its start by the Department of Entrepreneurship, which since 2006 provides a methodological learning process for entrepreneurship at the University of National and World Economy with the aim of building highly skilled entrepreneurs and managers in a dynamic business environment – including international and multicultural.

The academic staff of the institute includes young, with potential for development assistants as well as lecturers with lots of experience in teaching, research and consultancy in the field of entrepreneurship and small business - a professor, three associate professors and chief assistant professors (all with PhD degrees). Some of them hold important positions in national and international organizations supporting entrepreneurship.

In his work the academic staff relies on the results achieved in national and international projects, training and consulting of firms.

The main research interests of the members of the institute are in: creating and managing a new business, including family business, strategic and entrepreneurial management and growth of small and medium-sized firms, entrepreneurial culture, art and creative entrepreneurship, clusters, subcontractors and entrepreneurial business networks, digital business, psychology of entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurship in international environment. The institute participates in the training of bachelors, masters and doctoral students, as well as entrepreneurs and managers in practice. They have developed contacts with related institutes and departments at universities from different countries.

The institute is well recognizable not only nationally, but especially internationally through publications, participation in international conferences and seminars, national and international projects. Members of the institute have taught American students from Florida International University in Miami, Saginaw Valley State University, Michigan, as well as students and entrepreneurs from technical universities in Mexico, entrepreneurs from Serbia, etc.

Together with the Bulgarian Association for Management Development and Entrepreneurship (BAMDE), the institute is a co-organizer of the annual international conference on entrepreneurship with the participation of prominent researchers from dozens of countries.