Project acronym: BY LEAP

Full project name: Balkans Youth: Linking Education, Abilities and Partnership Potential in Regional Employment Practice

Short summary: The project aims to strengthen the participation of grassroots CSOs and youth initiatives in regional network, and ensure sustainability of young entrepreneurs (student/youth) companies through demonstration and training/mentoring activities. The efforts will go toward improving the policy environment and supporting human and institutional capacity/workforce development initiatives that respond to the needs of the CSO’s and local/grassroots beneficiaries.

Main objectives:

  • Contribute to youth entrepreneurship opportunities and strengthen employment perspectives of youth in the Western Balkans;
  • Strengthen regional entrepreneurship education network and its capacity to participate in reform process;
  • Support growth of innovative youth entrepreneurship initiatives including from rural and remote areas, and their transformation into sustainable youth SMEs;
  • Foster youth employment and entrepreneurship opportunities through advocating for legal environment prone to student and youth companies sustainable development

Start date: 1 March 2020

End date: 28 February 2023

Total EU allocation: 1,079,800 EUR

Project Coordinator: Junior Achievement Serbia

Project partners:

Western Balkans Institute (Serbia)
Junior Achievement of Albania
JA Turkey
Social Innovation Incubator MUNJA (B&H)
National Youth Council of Macedonia
Student Business Center (Montenegro)
JA Europe

Main deliverables:

  • min 360 CSO activists, 200 CSOs (including local/grassroots) and 50 business hubs/incubators in 6 countries capacitated to participate in regional networking and reform processes with grassroots initiatives supported through sub-granting scheme program
  • min 3900 of youth entrepreneurs and VET/secondary school students; 480 teachers; min 780 student companies; min 600 VET/secondary school across the region
  • min. 30 government representatives (incl. line ministries, agencies, national regulatory and regional councils, etc.)
  • min 6 chambers of commerce and 2 official national youth councils and other professionals in the field

About European Union:

The Member States of the European Union have decided to link together their know-how, resources and destinies. Together, they have built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedoms. The European Union is committed to sharing its achievements and its values with countries and peoples beyond its borders.