37 youth and youth-oriented organisations from several towns across Serbia took part in the event Speed dating: Youth organisations and EU funds at the EU Info Centre in Belgrade. The ‘speed dating’ was participated in by the representatives of nine EU-funded programmes, that is potential donors. The representatives of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Serbian Youth Umbrella Organisation and the EU Info Centre also partook in the activity.

Speed dating was arranged by the EU Info Centre in collaboration with EU Delegation to Serbia within their joint youth campaign titled “Europe for You”.

In his opening remarks, Head of Operations II Steffen Hudolin said he was happy with the high attendance of young people and invited them to take an active part in EU-supported reform process in Serbia.

“We absolutely need you; Serbia, the region and the EU need you. We need your engagement and we need you to be both active and proactive,” Hudolin said addressing the representatives of youth organisations. He encouraged them not to give up and let their hopes dash if for some reason their project was turned down but to keep taking part in all EU activities in Serbia.

The representative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Marija Petronijevic said that the Ministry published annual calls for proposals aimed at youth organisations and announced that the Ministry would soon publish a new call and co-fund previously approved projects.

Secretary General of the Serbian Youth Umbrella Organisation, which acted as one of the partners in the event, Nina Zivanovic noted that the Umbrella Organisation was the highest youth representative body in Serbia which for the past six years sought to respond to the needs of the young.

11 speed dating tables were hosted by the representatives of the following EU funds and programmes: Erasmus+, Creative Europe, MEDIA programme, European Instrument for Human Rights and Democracy (EIDHR), Civil Society Facility, COSME (Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises), Horizon 2020, Europe for Citizens and TACSO (Technical Assistance for Civil Society Organisations).

They briefed the delegates of youth organisations about the ongoing and future calls for proposals they are eligible for and answered their questions.

Among these 37 were youth organisations from Prijepolje, Tutin, Nis, Novi Sad, Jagodina, Smederevo, etc.