Youth Innovators at the upcoming EPIC Final Conferenceand Hackathon

A celebration of youth-driven social innovation is set to take place at the upcoming EPIC Final Conference and Hackathon. This landmark event marks the culmination of the Entrepreneurial Citizenship for Social Change project, bringing together young social entrepreneurs, youth workers, and industry experts to showcase sustainable solutions to pressing community challenges across the Western Balkans.

The social innovation Hackathon Final
The highlight of the event will be the highly anticipated Hackathon Final. After months of intensive capacity-building using the newly developed EPIC Curriculum and Toolkits, teams of young innovators will take the stage to pitch their social business models to a panel of experts. These youth-led initiatives, deeply rooted in the European EntreComp framework, aim to tackle local social and environmental issues. The hackathon will demonstrate the participants’ journey from identifying community problems to designing actionable, sustainable ventures using tools like the Social Business Model Canvas.

Reflecting on Impact
In addition to the live pitches, the Final Conference will serve as a platform to reflect on the successful pilot implementations in Kosovo, Albania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Stakeholders will discuss how the initiative successfully bridged the gap between social work and entrepreneurial action, empowering dozens of youth and youth workers, even in regions lacking formal legal frameworks for social enterprises.

Key Event highlights:

• Live pitching sessions: Young entrepreneurs present their innovative social ventures.
• Impact panels: Expert discussions on the outcomes and future of social entrepreneurship training in the Western Balkans.
• Networking opportunities: A collaborative space connecting youth workers, young leaders, policymakers, and potential investors.
  
  Join the Conference
  Stakeholders, youth workers, youth, and the public are invited to attend this dynamic event to support the next generation of socially responsible leaders and explore opportunities for cross sector collaboration.
  
  Event details:
• Date: 17/02/2026
• Time: 10:00
• Location: HomeWork Hub, Sarajevo

More information about the project is available at: https://epic-project.eu/