Project update 11–12 December 2025 Sofia, Bulgaria

TPM in Sofia – planning the next steps of “Empowering Rural Communities”

On 11–12 December 2025, partners met in Sofia for a Transnational Project Meeting (TPM) within Empowering Rural Communities: Youth-Led Spaces for Transformation. The project supports young people in rural areas by strengthening and professionalising youth spaces—among others through developing a practical guidebook and improving youth workers’ competences.

What mattered most during the meeting?

In line with the project application, the TPM hosted by our Bulgarian partner focused on clarifying roles and responsibilities, agreeing on the scope of research activities, exchanging good practices, and visiting youth spaces.

Who attended Two representatives from each partner organisation, enabling efficient operational decisions and a shared strategic view.

Joint planning We aligned on next steps, timelines, and the way we collaborate across the partnership.

Day 1: networking and partnership-building

The first day was dedicated to networking and strengthening cooperation within the consortium. We discussed how we work in our organisations and explored potential directions for future collaboration beyond the project (including new Erasmus+ initiatives, sport-related projects, and accreditation opportunities).

Day 2: presentations, agreements and action planning

Day two was intensive and highly practical. Each organisation presented its youth centre/youth space, helping everyone better understand local contexts and organisational capacities. In particular, the Romanian partner presented the space where upcoming project activities will take place, giving us a clear picture of the planned working conditions.

During the working sessions, we:

clarified the next project steps and cooperation rules to keep implementation consistent across partners;
discussed the preparation and promotion of the Guidebook, one of the project’s key results;
agreed on organisational aspects related to national groups for upcoming trainings/workshops and planned local activities.

What’s next?

The Sofia meeting strengthened our shared direction and provided a solid basis for further implementation—supporting effective coordination, quality assurance, timeline management, and dissemination activities.

Thank you to all partners for the great atmosphere, openness, and concrete agreements. We keep working to strengthen rural youth spaces and increase young people’s participation in local community life.