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1. Legal/policy framework for the functioning and development of youth organisations

2. Public financial support

Legal/policy framework for the functioning and development of youth organizations

In Bulgaria, the primary legal framework governing the functioning and development of youth organisations is the Youth Act (Закон за младежта) (effective from 20 April 2012, last amendment and supplement 2 August 2022). 

The Youth Act defines key concepts including “youth organisation”, “youth”, “youth worker” and “youth volunteering”. A “youth organisation” is defined as a voluntary association whose members are predominantly young people and which carries out youth activities.

One of the core principles established by the Youth Act is freedom of association for young people, including the ability to form and operate youth organisations independently. This guarantees that youth organisations can function autonomously and represent young people’s interests in policy processes. 

The national youth policy is described in the law as a purposeful and consistent activity of the state, municipalities, youth organisations and society, aiming to create favourable conditions for young people’s development, participation in social and economic life, and involvement in public management at local, regional and national levels. This positions youth organisations as active partners in policy implementation and consultation. 

The Act highlights coordination of youth policy across different sectors (e.g. education, social policy, culture, sports) and between different levels of government, which strengthens the environment in which youth organisations operate. 

It emphasises the support for youth initiatives and self-governance within youth organisations. This includes recognition of voluntary youth work and support for structures that enable young people to organise themselves around shared interests and activities. 

The Youth Act provides the basis for cooperation between youth organisations and public authorities. For example, the Ministry of Youth and Sports interacts with youth organisations in the development and implementation of national youth policy and coordinates programmes and projects in the youth field. Youth organisations can register and be categorised within the National Youth Information System maintained by the Ministry, facilitating visibility and access to information on policy processes and opportunities. 

Although the Youth Act provides top-level legal framework for youth organisations as part of the national youth policy, specific operational details for their development (e.g. funding mechanisms, training infrastructure) are typically set out through national programmes and administrative procedures administered by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and related authorities rather than through a separate strategy exclusively for youth organisations.

Public financial support

National programmes administered by the Ministry of Youth and Sports are the main sources of public funding. The Ministry implements multi-annual national youth programmes (the National Youth Programme 2026-2030) and ad-hoc calls that provide direct grants to youth organisations and initiatives. (see Section 1.7)

Another source is the earmarked national funding under the Gambling Act (Article 10a) (the National Program for Awareness and Prevention 2026-2030) – a statutory mechanism that channels a share of gambling-related revenues into grants and calls for youth projects and small local initiatives.

In terms of the European Union programmes, Erasmus+ (mobility, youth exchanges, capacity building, KA1/KA2/KA3 actions) and the European Solidarity Corps are the major sources of project funding for Bulgarian youth organisations. The national implementation is supported by the Bulgarian National Agency (Human Resources Development Centre).

European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) and national operational programmes provide funding through projects relevant to youth services. Other international funding streams are the EEA/ Norway Grants and Recovery and Resilience Facility investments that fund projects to establish youth centres and local infrastructure for youth work.

Public funding schemes in Bulgaria finance a broad range of youth-oriented activities:

• project-based youth work and local initiatives – small and medium grants to youth organisations to run community projects, awareness campaigns, social inclusion activities and local youth actions (the national youth programs);

• capacity building and training – grants for training of youth workers, volunteers and organisational development (national projects and Erasmus+ KA2 / KA3 activities);

• mobility, youth exchanges and international cooperation – travel, coordination and activity costs for youth exchanges, international training courses and volunteering funded mainly by Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps;

• entrepreneurship and innovation for young people – national/ regionally supported competitions and schemes (e.g. “Best Youth Startup” / Fund of Funds initiatives) supporting young entrepreneurs; such programmes combine national funds and EU instruments;

• support for youth facilities (youth centres/ meeting places). 

The establishment and financing of youth centres is explicitly supported through dedicated national and European funding instruments. Recent investments under Bulgaria’s Recovery and Resilience plan (RRF) and specific calls (EEA/Norway Grants) have financed the construction/ modernisation of a network of youth centres (including municipal youth centres), often implemented in partnership with local authorities and the Ministry of Youth and Sports. These investments aim to provide physical meeting spaces, comprehensive youth services and facilities for international activities. (see Chapter 10)

Ongoing financing programmes for youth centres is ensured through the central government and municipal programmes (tenders/calls), which are complemented with EU funding, so that youth centres can cover operations, activities and staff after initial capital investments. The government has recently adopted multi-year programmes to finance youth centres (national programme (2026-2028). (see Chapter 10) 

Some municipalities run their own small grants programmes dedicated to youth initiatives and the operation of local youth centres (e.g. Gabrovo’s youth initiatives fund). These local funds complement national/ EU grants and help reach local and hard-to-reach youth.

Funding is delivered and accessed through competitive calls for project proposals where youth organisations must apply with project plans and budgets.

Funding is diverse and multi-sourced, which gives many entry points for youth organisations but also requires capacity to apply for different schemes (administrative burden). The Ministry of Youth and Sports offer information and periodic calls to help organisations access funds.

Initiatives to increase the diversity of participants

In Bulgaria, increasing the diversity of young people participating in youth organisations is addressed primarily through national youth policy priorities, targeted national programmes, and EU-funded inclusion measures. While there is no stand-alone national strategy exclusively dedicated to diversity in youth organisations, inclusion is embedded as a cross-cutting objective in national and European youth policy implementation.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports implements youth policy under the National Youth Strategy 2021-2030 (Национална стратегия за младежта 2021-2030), which includes social inclusion, equal access and participation of young people with fewer opportunities as core priorities.

Bulgaria participates in Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps, both of which contain mandatory inclusion and diversity strategies at EU level.

These programmes provide additional financial support for participants with fewer opportunities, encourage outreach to rural youth, young migrants, Roma youth, and young people with disabilities, require inclusion plans in funded projects, support mobility, volunteering and youth exchanges for underrepresented groups. The Bulgarian National Agency (Human Resources Development Centre) implements these measures nationally.

The recent investments under EU funds and national programmes have supported the establishment of youth centres across Bulgaria. These centres aim to provide safe, accessible meeting spaces for young people, deliver outreach youth work in disadvantaged neighbourhoods, offer non-formal education, civic participation activities and volunteering opportunities, engage marginalised youth, including Roma youth and young people from low-income communities.

Furthermore, there are targeted outreach and inclusion initiatives.

UNICEF Bulgaria works with public institutions to strengthen mechanisms for inclusive child and youth participation, particularly focusing on Roma communities, migrant and refugee children, children with disabilities, youth in alternative care.

Although these initiatives are not limited to youth organisations, they contribute to increasing participation of underrepresented groups in civic and youth structures. (Child and Youth Participation | UNICEF Bulgaria) (last visited on 07/02/2026).

On the other hand, some municipalities implement local youth participation funds or targeted outreach programmes designed to engage young people in small towns and rural areas and to support grassroots youth initiatives