Youth Changemakers for Social Economy Ecosystem (YOUforSE)

Youth unemployment across the European Union is higher than the general unemployment rate. Nearly half of young people would prefer entrepreneurship over being employees, yet there is a gap between their ambitions and actual engagement in entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial initiatives have been moderate or even insignificant. Despite the importance of the social economy in promoting well-being and contributing to social and territorial cohesion, it remains relatively unknown. At the same time, its values resonate with young people who are keen to address social and environmental issues. However, employment opportunities within the social economy are not widely promoted.

The project “Youth as Change-Makers of the Social Economy Ecosystem” (YOUforSE) is based on two pillars: social entrepreneurship and active citizenship. It supports active youth participation and informal learning, based on the assumption that greater youth involvement in the social economy is a driving force for inclusive and sustainable social and territorial transformation. The #YOUforSE target group includes young people aged 18 to 29, regional policymakers, and existing social enterprises in three project regions, with a particular focus on areas facing territorial challenges (primarily aging and sparsely populated regions).

The project will be implemented in collaboration with national entities to engage as many young people as possible, working directly with civil society organizations, youth associations (such as local/regional youth councils), or youth information offices. Taking into account the experiences of different countries and regions, as well as approaches and perceptions of the social economy, the national bodies promoting this initiative aim to meet the most common needs of young social entrepreneurs, including access to resources, mentoring and support, collaboration and networking opportunities, entrepreneurial training and education, and legal assistance for starting businesses.

The Vidzeme Planning Region is responsible for developing guidelines for organizing hackathons and ensuring the successful implementation of hackathons in all partner countries.