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1. Programmes specific for vulnerable young people

2. Funding

3. Quality assurance

Programmes specific for vulnerable young people

There are a number of inclusive programmes and measures that support vulnerable young people (i.e. young people experiencing higher risk of poverty and social exclusion, including NEETs, young Roma, young people with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups). These programmes are delivered through national legislation, active labour market policies, EU-funded programmes, and social services frameworks.

A central part of Bulgaria’s approach to social inclusion of young people is integrated in broader employment and social inclusion programmes rather than in a standalone youth-only scheme. Much of this work is implemented under the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) framework and national active labour market policy supported by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (MLSP). ESF+ programmes aim to improve access to jobs, boost skills, support education and training, and address social exclusion among vulnerable groups. 

Under this framework, the Human Resources Development Programme 2021-2027 (HRDP) incorporates specific interventions directed at young people, including measures for employment activation, vocational training, subsidised work placements, and apprenticeships. Activities include subsidised employment, internships, training for key competences, support for young NEETs, and support for social economy and self-employment opportunities. Some specific directions include placement in traineeships and apprenticeships, subsidies for first jobs and on-the-job training, activation measures for non-registered youth, and counselling and guidance. 

In addition, Bulgaria implements the Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan (2014 onward) in line with the EU Youth Guarantee framework. This plan provides that every young person (extended up to age 29 in the Bulgarian context) receives an offer of employment, continued education, traineeship or apprenticeship within a defined period after becoming unemployed or leaving formal education. The plan includes outreach and activation measures as well as sustained labour market integration support. 

At the operational level, the Employment Agency carries out a number of active measures under the national legislation and within ESF+ projects, such as:

• “Youth employment and training” measures, providing support for unemployed young people under 29 through subsidised employment and training opportunities;
• “Ready for work” activation measures targeting inactive youth to motivate them towards training or employment;
• National Programme “Start in the career”, which places young graduates in paid traineeships in public administration to gain work experience;
• Traineeship schemes for unemployed youth under the Employment Promotion Act. 

Under the national legislation, the Employment Promotion Act provides the legal basis for programmes and measures to promote employment, including for unemployed youth and other vulnerable groups. These include subsidies for hiring, support for self-employment, training vouchers and related activation measures that operationalise youth-focused employment support within the general labour market policy. 

Another important framework is the Social Services Act, which establishes the provision of social services, including services aimed at supporting vulnerable children and families. Services delivered under this Act, such as counselling, community support, day centres, and outreach, contribute indirectly to the inclusion of young people facing social exclusion, particularly when combined with educational or employment measures. 

The main target groups of these interventions include:

• Young people aged 15–29 who are NEETs (neither in employment, education or training);
• Unemployed youth, especially long-term unemployed;
• Young Roma and other ethnic minorities facing systemic exclusion;
• Young people with disabilities;
• Early school leavers and those with low qualification levels. 

Participation statistics are collected through MLSP and Employment Agency administrative data. Quantitative targets are integrated into ESF+ and national monitoring frameworks, particularly for reducing youth NEET rates, increasing participation in education and training, and boosting employment outcomes. These indicators are periodically reported through national ESF+ implementation reports and the European Semester process, though data disaggregation specifically for vulnerable youth cohorts varies across reporting systems.

The primary implementing authority for these programmes is the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, in cooperation with the Employment Agency and the Agency for Social Assistance. Municipalities and NGOs (including organisations working with Roma communities, youth organisations and service providers under the Social Services Act) often partner in delivering local activation, guidance and support services. Employers play a key role in subsidised hiring, internships and traineeships under labour market measures.

Funding

Funding for inclusive programmes for vulnerable young people in Bulgaria comes from a mix of national budgets, municipal budgets, and substantial co-financing from European funds, in particular the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) implemented under the 2021-2027 programming period. The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy acts as the main national coordinator for social-inclusion financing. It allocates national budget lines, manages/ co-ordinates EU programme implementation as managing authority (for example, for HRDP), and channels funds to executive agencies (Employment Agency, Agency for Social Assistance) and to municipalities and contracted non-profit service providers. Local authorities also finance local social services under the Social Services Act and co-finance ESF+ projects on the ground. Employers, training providers and NGOs are typically partners and co-beneficiaries in labour market and social service projects (e.g. subsidised employment, traineeships, community social services). (European Social Fund Plus) (last accessed 19/02/2026) 

ESF+/ HRDP and the national strategies include quantified targets and indicators (e.g., participants to be covered, NEET rate reductions, number of trained/placed young people). 

MLSP and the Employment Agency monitor implementation through administrative systems and publish annual implementation reports. ESF+ procedures require monitoring committees and regular reporting to the Commission. 

Quality assurance

 A structured, multi-level quality assurance and monitoring system for inclusive programmes targeting vulnerable young people is established. Quality assurance mechanisms differ, depending on whether programmes are financed through EU funds (e.g. ESF+) or implemented under national legislation (e.g. Employment Promotion Act, Social Services Act), but in practice they are interconnected.

At programme level, measures financed under HRDP are subject to the EU Structural Funds management and control system. The Managing Authority within the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy ensures continuous monitoring through:

• annual and final implementation reports submitted to the European Commission;

• monitoring Committee meetings (including representatives of ministries, municipalities, social partners and NGOs);

• administrative data collection through the Integrated Management Information System (UMIS);

• on-the-spot checks, audits and financial control procedures;

• result indicators defined in the programme document.

For labour market measures implemented under the Employment Promotion Act, the Employment Agency monitors implementation through administrative registers, tracking indicators such as number of participants, duration of employment retention and employer participation rates. Beneficiary feedback is collected through surveys and follow-up assessments in selected projects (particularly ESF+ funded schemes).

For social services provided under the Social Services Act, quality assurance is regulated through licensing, accreditation and inspection procedures. The Agency for Quality of Social Services is responsible for monitoring compliance with national quality standards, conducting inspections and issuing mandatory recommendations. Service providers must meet standards concerning accessibility, individual assessment, service planning, staff qualifications, safeguarding procedures and user satisfaction. Periodic inspections and evaluations are carried out at national and municipal level.

Across programmes, quality is assessed through a combination of quantitative and qualitative indicators:

• output indicators: number of participants (e.g. NEETs, young Roma, young people with disabilities), number of completed trainings, number of subsidised jobs created;

• result indicators: employment rate after participation (e.g. share of participants in employment 6 months after leaving the measure), reduction in NEET rate, improved educational attainment;

• accessibility indicators: regional coverage, outreach to rural or marginalised communities;

• financial compliance indicators: absorption rate of allocated funds, eligibility of expenditures;

• social service standards: compliance with national quality standards, individual needs assessment procedures, safeguarding and protection mechanisms.

For ESF+ programmes, common EU indicators (set by Regulation (EU) 2021/1057) are applied, ensuring comparability at EU level. National monitoring frameworks under the National Strategy for Poverty Reduction and Promotion of Social Inclusion 2030 and the National Youth Strategy 2021-2030 also rely on statistical indicators from the National Statistical Institute (e.g. at-risk-of-poverty rate, early school leaving rate, youth unemployment rate).

Monitoring reports generally show:

• high participation levels in ESF-funded youth employment and activation measures;

• positive short-term employment outcomes (e.g. more than half of young participants in some youth employment schemes remaining in employment after programme completion, according to MLSP reporting);

• improved coordination between employment services and social services following reforms under the Social Services Act (2020);

• strengthened institutional control over social service providers through inspections conducted by the Agency for Quality of Social Services.

Relevant monitoring and evaluation documentation includes:

• Annual implementation reports of the HRDP (published by the Managing Authority);

• Monitoring Committee decisions and summaries (HRDP);

• Annual reports of the Employment Agency;

• Annual reports of the Agency for Quality of Social Services;

National Reform Programme reports submitted under the European Semester.