Programs for vulnerable young people

Currently, Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have a state-level national program dedicated exclusively to the social inclusion of vulnerable youth. Projects and activities at different levels, which address specific aspects of youth vulnerability and social exclusion, are primarily funded and coordinated through international partnerships and implemented in cooperation with local governments and civil society.

The Youth Empowerment Enabling Prospects (YEEP) program, launched in 2016 is still active and coordinated by SOS Children’s Villages in Bosnia and Herzegovina, supports the social and economic inclusion of disadvantaged youth. The program targets individuals aged 16 to 35 who are unemployed, from low-income backgrounds, or have experienced institutional care. It provides vocational training, career counselling, mentoring, and employment services. The program is implemented in partnership with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Hermann Gmeiner Fonds. It aims to reach 1,600 direct youth beneficiaries and over 3,500 indirectly.

Initiated in 2023, the Youth Guarantee pilot is currently being implemented across the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska, and Brčko District, with the support of the European Union, the International Labor Organization (ILO), and local implementing partners such as the Association PROI. The program guarantees that young people under the age of 30 receive an offer of employment, education, training, or internship within four months of becoming unemployed or leaving education. The program focuses on NEET youth and vulnerable groups, with a special emphasis on inclusion of women and marginalized communities. Implementation is coordinated by entity-level ministries of labor and employment services.

Implemented by UNDP and financed by the European Union, Regional Program on Local Democracy – ReLOaD2 (Youth Component) (2021–2025) supports youth engagement and local governance through civil society projects. The program funds youth initiatives across 13 partner municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasizing inclusion of youth with disabilities and socially excluded groups. As of 2023, ReLOaD2 supported 35 youth projects, conducted over 30 dialogue sessions, and provided administrative training for 26 young individuals. Three internships were specifically allocated to youth with developmental disabilities.

Funding

There is no dedicated state-level budget for youth social inclusion. Initiatives rely heavily on project-based international donor funding (e.g., EU IPA programs, UNDP, UNICEF, IOM, and others), with no unified national allocation or strategy integrating these into domestic budgets.

Key sources:

• Youth Wiki - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chapter 4.6: Access to quality services (last update: 12 August 2025) → Notes that programs like the Youth Employability and Retention Program (YERP) are donor-financed (e.g., Spanish MDG Fund via UNDP), and there are no top-level public schemes specifically targeting youth inclusion with sustained national funding.  

• Youth Wiki - Chapter 4: Social Inclusion (overview) → Confirms fragmentation, with funding varying by entity/donor and no state-level dedicated budget. 

• Supporting context from EU reports: European Commission Bosnia and Herzegovina Report 2024 (and related 2025 updates) highlights reliance on IPA funding for youth employment/inclusion without domestic budgetary integration. 

Quality assurance

There is no standardized national quality assurance system for youth social inclusion programs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Evaluation and monitoring mechanisms are carried out according to donor-specific frameworks and vary by program. Quality assurance practices are project-specific and externally managed, with limited integration into state-level governance or policymaking structures. No standardized national system exists. Monitoring and evaluation are donor-driven, project-specific, and lack integration into state structures (UNDP National Human Development Report 2020: Social Inclusion in Bosnia and Herzegovina).