Association " Varna - European Youth Capital" has the vital role of preparing and managing the Varna 2017 European Youth Capital programme. Although institutionally it has a short background, its mandate comes from the Municipality of Varna to implement this major European programme. The professional team of the project consists of persons involved in prior strategic projects. For example the project Youth Capitals in Action was funded under the 4.6 Strand of the former Youth in Action programme (the predecessor of the very Strategic Partnership priority of the current Erasmus+ programme, working together with 5 other European Youth Capital cities in developing professional tools and guidelines in managing large scale youth events on the topics of fund-raising, event management, networking and cooperation and public awareness). The association represents Varna in the Network of European Youth Capitals.

CAMARA MUNICIPAL DE CASCAIS is the administration unit of the city of Cascais. It was the municipal level coordinator of the bid for the European Youth Capital title for 2018 in close cooperation with the youth sector of the city. Cascais Town Hall is an executive body with its functions, powers and form of election provided for in Law No. 169/99 of 18 September. This body consists of a Mayor and ten councilors, one of whom is appointed Deputy Mayor, and an election occurs every four years by the voters registered in the area. In its structure CMC integrates various units, among which the Youth Division. The municipality’s mission in the youth sector is a clear statement of the local youth policy: “to contribute to young people’s emancipation through the implementation of strategies oriented to the development of their personal, social and professional competences, aiming at empowering them with the necessary skills and conditions for the practice of a complete Citizenship.”

The City of Turin has 900.000 inhabitants and a G.D.P. of 55.000 million Euro and is one of the most important cities in Italy. During the last decades the city has gone through a deep transformation, changing its vocation from traditional heavy industry to a city of culture, tourism, services, committing to become a “smart city”, fostering a sustainable, intelligent and inclusive urban growth as a driver for a social and economic development. In 2006 the city hosted the olimpyc winter games, a milestone in the new spirit of this former industrial capital, an event able to create a new cultural and productive environment.In 2010 Torino has been awarded with the title of European Youth Capital. During the event year hold more than 100 projects and events organized by youth associations, single persons, and administrations. In 2015 Torino will celebrate European Sport Capital. In the city are present two major University with 100.000 students arriving from all over the country and all over the world, and the process of international placement of the city is fostering every year, according to the Strategic Plan of the City.The Youth Department orgnize, promote and support initiatives and project in the field of: youth creativity, street art, participation, youth information, national voluntary service, youth centers, local volunteering,activities, youth mobility, interculture, youth observatory.

Fundacao Bracara Augusta was the foundation which also had the mandate to implement the Braga 2012 European Youth Capital Programme on behalf of the municipality. Furthermore, the foundation is managing currently another Strategic Partnership project in the field of youth called 100% Youth City, implemented in partnership with 6 cities. The foundation has a wide experience concerning youth activities in the city of Braga and was also involved in the participatory budgeting process in Braga, which targets the general population of the city. The Foundation began its activities in 2000 with the completion of the second millennium celebrations of the city of Braga. Throughout that year, the Bracara Augusta Foundation held a series of cultural activities and shows with free entry, a program framed in organizational logic that crossed various perspectives. Exhibitions, concerts of music of various genres, including jazz,traditional Portuguese music, electronic music and multimedia art and rock, ballet performances, opera, publications and conferences marked the daily life of 2000 in the city of Braga.

The most important youth support organisation in Maribor, Slovenia, strategic partner of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, it was directly involved in the Maribor 2013 European Youth Capital programme. The organisation currently runs the Pekarna Youth Centerand it is managing a various range of youth programmes in Maribor. It is also mandated to represent the city of Maribor in the Network of European Youth Capitals. The Youth Cultural Centre Maribor (Mladinski kulturni center Maribor) is a public institute, founded in 1993 by the Municipality of Maribor. It is active in the field of art, creativity, urban culture and youth sector. It promotes and organizes art projects, cultural programmes and activities for youth. Projects and activities are internationally and locally oriented and intended to youth and fans of contemporary art and urban culture. The Youth Cultural Centre Maribor organize over 300 different evenings and activities every year.

UNESCO Youth Club of Thessaloniki was founded in 2004 and operates under the auspices of the Hellenic National UNESCO Committee. It is a member of the Movement of Clubs of UNESCO and a member of the Greek National Youth Council. Also, it is a member of the International UNESCO Youth Network, the Euro-Med Youth Platform and the NGO network of the Anna Lindh Foundation. From 2004 we focus on youth participation, art and education initiatives based on the UNESCO priorities. UNESCO Youth Club of Thessaloniki is active on Youth, Youth in Action, MED and INTERREG programs of E.C. and the basic priority area is the S.E.E. countries. UNESCO Youth Club of Thessaloniki was authorized by the Greek Office of the United Nations Regional Information Center in Europe to act as the main national promoter of the International Year of Youth (IYY) of the United Nations (August 2010-August 2011).

PONT Group was founded in 2009. The central aim of our organization is to generate social innovation through participation in the fields of entrepreneurship and culture with a special focus on youth and digitalization. PONT Group’s central activity is to create general frameworks, programmes and to implement specific projects through intersectoral and multidisciplinary partnerships on local, regional, national and European levels. The main office of PONT Group is located in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania, however, through the different projects it is active in different cities of Romania and Europe.