Kick-off meeting | Budapest | 2025.05.15-16.

COOPOWER (Strengthening cooperative employment practices for the empowerment of vulnerable youth) was launched in April with the aim of developing and strengthening local cooperation to help young people in rural areas of the Danube region find employment and participate more successfully in the labour market. The project's kick-off meeting was held on 15^th – 16^th May in Budapest, organized by HÉTFA Research Institute.

The three-year project, led by the Center for the Study of Democracy (Bulgaria), involves nine partners from eight countries across the Danube Region (Austria, Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine):

●        Center for the Study of Democracy (BG),

●        Centre for Social Innovation (AT),

●        HETFA Research Institute Organisation (HU),

●        IREAS Institute for Structural Policy (CZ),

●        Platform for Social Change (UA),

●        PULSE Balkans (RS),

●        Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania (RO),

●        Slovak Business Agency (SK),

●        Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities (BG).

The project’s fundamental approach was formulated based on the belief that transnational cooperation is crucial to address the challenges of territorial disparities of youth unemployment and social exclusion effectively. Thus, by sharing information, insights and good practices, project partners and other interested stakeholders will develop tailored solutions that consider the diverse social and economic contexts across the involved countries.

During the project, local and international cooperation networks and additional research will support pilot activities in six piloting countries (Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Ukraine). The results of these activities will form the basis for policy recommendations aimed at raising awareness among a wide range of decision-makers about innovative tools for reducing long-term unemployment among young people in disadvantaged areas.