Balkans Youth Entrepreneurship and Engagement

Commitment to Action

Balkans Youth Entrepreneurship and Engagement

Commitment by

International Youth Foundation

In 2005 the Balkan Children and Youth Foundation (BCYF) committed to raise money to provide young unemployed people with paid internships, grants for start-up businesses and training and/or retraining grants, towards reconnecting them with the labor market and improving their living standards.
Since 2006 BCYF has raised more than $750,000 in five countries, funded 40 small youth businesses employing approximately 100 people, provided 1500 young people with paid internships, and engaged 5000 unemployed people in life-skills trainings.

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Tabs

Overview

Summary

Commitment

Balkans Youth Entrepreneurship and Engagement

Launched

2005

Est. Duration

3 years

Estimated Total Value

$3,000,000

Region

Europe

Countries

ALBANIA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, CROATIA, Kosovo, Macedonia, SERBIA

Commitment by

International Youth Foundation

Partner(s) of the Commitment Maker(s)

Balkan Children and Youth Foundation

Details

Over the next three years the Balkans Regional Program intends to impact more than 58,000 young people (ages 12-29) living in the Balkan region.
1. IYF will raise .3 million of in-kind support from local business communities.
2. IYF seeks ,300,000 for the project inclusive of:
.8 million for economic engagement
.5 million for social engagement

Background

The Balkans Regional Program for Youth Entrepreneurship and Engagement builds on the regional network of about 400 NGOs across 10 countries and territories that the Balkan Children and Youth Foundation (BCYF) established over the past four years. This initiative built capacity and strengthened the roots of indigenous youth-led activities and organizations, created cross-border and trans-ethnic networks and positively impacted some 94,000 children and youth and 3,700 parents and teachers since its inception in 2001.
The Balkans Regional Program for Youth Entrepreneurship and Engagement utilizes four strategies (youth business entrepreneurship and youth employability on the one hand, and youth social entrepreneurship and youth engagement on the other hand) in support of economic and social engagement. Activities will include entrepreneurship and business skills development, leadership training, capacity building of local NGOs and networking. They will also include the distribution of awards and seed funds for entrepreneurship youth-led projects and the provision of mentors.

Partnership Opportunities

SEEKING: The International Youth Foundation is seeking partnership opportunities and donations of both cash and in-kind services to support its Young Business Entrepreneurship programs in the Balkan region.
The Foundation for Open Society Institute Macedonia and Studio-Moderna are starting a new youth employment program in Macedonia and Bulgaria. BCYF, IYF and Studio-Moderna are seeking funding from corporate and public partners to scale this initiative.
Additional funding partners are sought in order to expand the commitment activities in all countries initially involved (currently BCYF is looking for such partners in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia) and increase its impact in the local and regional communities
.

Progress Reports

This commitment was reported unfulfilled due to a lack of funding.