Recognising the power of young people to drive change in their society, the EPIC project is here to empower youth workers and young people in the Western Balkans to become active citizens and social entrepreneurs. It helps participants identify social issues, develop innovative ideas, and, with the right guidance and support, transform these ideas into successful businesses.

Aligning with the EU’s EASI (2020) perspective, the project emphasises social enterprises’ role in addressing social issues through civic commitment, particularly among disadvantaged groups. By focusing on social entrepreneurship, EPIC provides youth with the opportunity to apply their skills to create innovative solutions for social problems, reducing youth unemployment, and fostering community development. Social enterprises create jobs in underserved social and environmental sectors, providing meaningful opportunities and combating social exclusion, skill gaps, and financing barriers.

Specifically, the EPIC project aims to:

• Foster cooperation across different regions of the world through joint initiatives
• Raise the capacity of organisations working with young people outside formal learning
• Support the development of youth work
• Promote non-formal learning activities, with a view to improve the level of competences while ensuring the active participation of young people in society