1.7 Funding youth policy
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Youth policies in Bulgaria are funded by the state budget and by European funds. The Youth Policies Directorate (Дирекция „Младежки политики“) of the Ministry of Youth and Sports organizes, coordinates, controls and implements the management of tools to fund youth activities from the state budget and from European and international financial sources.
There are two national youth programs that are administered by the Ministry of Youth and Sports with specifically allocated budget for youth policy.
The National Youth Program (2021-2025) (Национална програма за младежта (2021-2025)) is one of the tools used by the Ministry of Youth and Sports to directly implement the national youth policy in the country.
The program is designed as a response to the witnessed trends with regard to various public processes, whereas its main priority is to ensure supportive and encouraging environment for personal, professional and social realisation of young people in the country.
Its vision is: improved quality of life and realisation of young people through the creation and application of sustainable mechanists for investing in their potential, which would contribute to the full-value socio-economic development of Bulgaria as an EU member state.
The annual budget of the program is BGN 800 400 (approximately EUR 410 000).
The program is in compliance with the objectives of the National Youth Strategy (2021-2030) as an implementing tool of youth policy in the country. Project proposals in the following thematic areas are funded under the program:
- Non-formal learning to acquire skills and key competences;
- Ecology and environment protection;
- Leisure time, creativity and culture;
- Promotion of healthy lifestyle;
- Tolerance and European affiliation.
The National Program for the Implementation of Youth Activities under Article 10a of the Gambling Act (2023-2025) (Национална програма за изпълнение на младежки дейности по чл. 10а от Закона за хазарта (2023-2025) is another mechanism for funding youth projects and activities and initiatives as part of the implementation of the national youth policy.
The main objectives of the programme are:
- to stimulate the initiative of young people, to promote their civic engagement, participation and empowerment, to form socially-responsible behaviour;
- to stimulate the creativity of young people on problematic topics such as prevention of risk behaviour and different forms of addictions, environment protection and promotion of healthy and environmental-friendly lifestyle, protection of cultural heritage;
- to provide equal access to youth activities and services, to solve demographic problems, capacity development of young people in different regions, with view of reducing differences, overcoming social exclusion, poverty reduction, raising the awareness and digital competences of young people from small regions.
The key areas of the programme are:
- Youth activities and youth work;
- Youth initiatives and campaigns;
- Equal access to youth activities for young people from small regions;
- Improvement of the conditions of youth infrastructure.
The budget of the programme for 2023 was BGN 6 600 000 (approximately EUR 3 375 000) and for 2024 it is BGN 7 400 000 (approximately EUR 3 784 000). The budget depends on the allocations paid by the gaming organisers for socially responsible behaviour in accordance with article 10a of the Gambling Act (Закон за хазарта) and is determined on annual basis.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports monitors and controls the legal and expedient spending of funds. The programs are administered in accordance with Ordinance No 1 of 10.06.2022 on the terms and conditions for funding projects under the national youth programmes (Наредба № 1 от 10.06.2022 за условията и реда за финансиране на проекти по национални програми за младежта) (issued by the Minister of Youth and Sports, promulgated in State Gazette no. 48/2022, last amendment effective from 14.02.2023).
The implementation of the national youth programmes is subject to audit by internal audit office of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and by the Bulgarian National Audit Office according to their respective audit schedules.
The main source of EU funds dedicated to youth policy are the Erasmus+ program and the European Solidarity Corps. The Human Resource Development Centre (HRDC) is the Bulgarian Erasmus+ National Agency. It is recognized as a successful national structure for managing these European programs. Since 1999, the HRDC is actively involved in the management and implementation of European educational programmes and initiatives.