Southeast Europe is no longer a market on the edge of the map. Defense modernization along NATO’s Eastern Flank, major energy investment, and new infrastructure across the Black Sea region are shifting Europe’s strategic and commercial center of gravity east. Companies entering or expanding their footprint in this market need trusted relationships on the ground, a clear view of how decisions get made, and, for any work tied to U.S. federal funding, the knowledge and discipline to navigate one of the world’s most complex regulatory environments.
It is precisely at that intersection that a new partnership has taken shape. Carstens Consulting Global Inc. (CCG), the U.S. Veteran-owned strategic advisory firm located in and specializing in Southeast Europe, the Black Sea region, and the Balkans, and Capital Edge Consulting, LLC (Capital Edge) a U.S.-based company and the world’s largest consulting firm dedicated exclusively to U.S. government contracts and grants compliance, have signed a strategic cooperation agreement. Together, the firms connect unique regional insight with industry-leading U.S. federal compliance expertise – enabling clients as they confront challenges from opposite ends of the Atlantic.
For CCG, the agreement extends years of work helping clients turn market-entry goals into operational reality through regional networks across government, defense, energy, technology, and trade. For Capital Edge, it opens a trusted pathway into a region where U.S. federal engagement – and the compliance obligations that follow – continues to grow. For clients, the value is simple: integrated support from strategy and stakeholder engagement through operational execution and high-stakes compliance, without the seams that often appear between advisors.
Under the agreement, the firms will pursue joint advisory engagements, coordinate business development across shared sectors, and connect each other’s networks on both sides of the Atlantic. The partnership gives U.S. companies structured access to Romania, the Black Sea region, and the wider Balkans, while providing regional companies a credible route into the U.S. federal contracting market.
“The challenge is knowing what it takes to operate in two worlds at once,” said David H. Carstens, Founder and CEO of Carstens Consulting Global. “Our clients need doors opened in both Bucharest and Washington D.C. and throughout the U.S. and broader international market. With Capital Edge alongside us, we can finally offer both as a combined Team.”
“CCG knows this region the way you can only know it by living it,” said S. Chase Kunk, Managing Partner of Capital Edge Consulting. “Our clients’ need for compliance expertise must align with their operational demands and growth objectives. They need someone who understands the terrain and possesses access to the regional network of decisionmakers on the Eastern Flank. Together, we can give them both, and the confidence to move.”
Transatlantic engagement in Southeast Europe is accelerating across every sector, with an emphasis in aerospace, defense, energy security, digital infrastructure, and trade. The organizations best positioned to benefit will treat regional insight and regulatory discipline as one integrated capability – not separate workstreams. That is what this partnership is built to deliver.
About Carstens Consulting Global Inc.
Carstens Consulting Global Inc. (CCG) is a U.S. Veteran-owned strategic advisory firm specializing in Southeast Europe, the Black Sea region, and the Balkans. Led by Colonel (ret) David H. Carstens, CCG supports clients across the defense, energy, technology, and trade sectors with market entry, government relations, business development, and strategic intelligence. CCG operates in Romania through its subsidiary, Global Protect Solutions SRL. Learn more about the company at www.carstensconsultingglobalinc.com
About Capital Edge Consulting, LLC
Capital Edge is the largest consulting firm dedicated exclusively to government contracts and grants compliance. Its team of former industry executives, government auditors, and Big 4 leaders supports clients across the full government contracts and grants lifecycle, including Accounting & Finance, Contracts & Supply Chain, Business Systems, Enterprise Systems Transformation, Federal Grants, and Strategic Advisory. Learn more at www.capitaledgeconsulting.com