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Ref. Ares(2025)11431616 - 19/12/2025

D1.1 Activity Report Plan Project No: 101228046 TITLE: TRANSNATIONAL UNITED NETWORK IN EUROPE PROJECT ACRONYM: TUNE

1. Executive Summary The 2025 Annual Activity Report of the Transnational United Network in Europe (TUNE) illustrates the overview of the network’s activities throughout the year as well as milestones, impact and achievements. Specifically, in 2025 TUNE brought together 21 youth organisations from 18 countries which work collectively to strengthen youth participation in democratic life, focused on promoting the vision of the network towards a just and sustainable future which will be designed with the initiative of young people. The 2025 Annual Activity Report of the Transnational United Network in Europe (TUNE) illustrates the overview of the network’s activities throughout the year as well as milestones, impact and achievements. Specifically, in 2025 TUNE brought together 21 youth organisations from 18 countries which work collectively to strengthen youth participation in democratic life, focused on promoting the vision of the network towards a just and sustainable future which will be designed with the initiative of young people.

The member organisations of TUNE are dedicated to engaging young people from marginalised and underrepresented backgrounds, including rural youth, minorities, NEETs, and young people with disabilities. Each year the members organise a variety of capacitybuilding activities to approach more young people and offer them further opportunities, participatory research with the contribution of young people, international mobility, as well as local actions to empower youngsters from all network’s countries. During 2025, the TUNE network supported young people and youth workers in developing their skills, confidence and evidence needed to have an impact and influence decision-making at local, national, and European levels. Key achievements of the network during 2025 included the expansion of the network, the kick-off meeting with the partner organisations, strategic planning for the network, the implementation of a two-phase online training programme for youth workers, the successful rollout of a Europe-wide youth survey collecting 472 responses, the delivery of an international training course for young people in Krushevo, North Macedonia, the local activities that followed the plans that young people created during the TC which was a significant pillar of the network’s development during the year, as well as the implementation of the network’s General Assembly which gathered member organisations to discuss the next steps. This Activity Report Plan aims to illustrate how TUNE’s activities translate into real learning outcomes, strengthened cooperation, and increased youth ownership. By showcasing both processes and results, the report reflects TUNE’s core values of youth-led action, inclusivity, evidence-based advocacy, and shared responsibility, while also setting the foundation for the network’s future activities and strategic priorities.

2. Network Growth and Governance A key milestone for the TUNE Network in 2025 was its expansion, where 4 more member organisations joined the network, bringing their expertise and further ideas to engage young people in civic and democratic life. The organisations which joined TUNE in 2025 are: AMICS from Spain, Amaro Drom from Germany, Pistes Solidaires from France, and LDA Mostar from Bosnia & Herzegovina. This expansion reinforced TUNE’s role as a transnational platform for cooperation, learning, and youth-led governance.

Consequently, all member organisations joined the Kick-off Meeting for 2025 which was held in April in order to set the strategic direction for the year. During the meeting, the partners revisited the mission of TUNE and reaffirmed core principles such as transparency, shared ownership, and inclusive participation.

3. Strategic Planning and Reflection To better understand the needs of young people and provide them with necessary tools and materials for their growth and development, the TUNE network conducted a comprehensive SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis during April 2025. The key findings included strong shared values, wide geographic reach, trust among active members, and effective digital collaboration tools as the main strengths, uneven engagement levels, and challenges in external visibility as weaknesses. alignment with EU funding priorities, growing youth civic engagement, and expansion into themes such as climate justice and mental health were identified as opportunities and shrinking civic space, funding dependency, and digital inequalities were considered threats. The outcomes of this process positioned TUNE as a platform for longterm co-creation, advocacy, and youth-led policymaking with the contribution of all member organisations.

4. Capacity Building and Learning During 2025, the TUNE Network strengthened its approach to the skills and competencies of youth workers and organisational staff across the network, enabling them to empower young people and translate youth engagement into meaningful action. The programme was implemented in two complementary phases, focusing on research skills, data collection, and advocacy.

4.1 Online Training_Phase 1 “Data Collection and Questionnaire Design” In June 2025, TUNE implemented the first phase of its two-part online capacity-building programme for youth workers and organisational staff with the aim of empowering the people TUNE member organisations work with and provide them with useful tools and resources. The training, titled “Data Collection & Questionnaire Design,” was delivered over two days and engaged 33 participants from all 21 member organisations. It mainly focused on the fundamentals of social research, the design of inclusive and youth-friendly questionnaires, the ethical data collection and GDPR compliance, as well as the introduction of qualitative and quantitative methodologies. According to the participants: “I learnt how to identify and avoid bias in survey design. Understanding how wording, question structure, and response options can influence participants' answers has improved my ability to create more objective tools for data collection.” “The most important insight was to consider more carefully how to structure a questionnaire and have intention between each question, with attention to detail. Also, the ethical considerations of interviewing, along with tips and tricks for both qualitative and quantitative research.”

4.2 Online Training_Phase 2 Campaigning, Dissemination and Exploitation of Research Data The second phase of the training took place in July 2025 and welcomed 27 participants, who collaborate as youth workers and organisational staff with the TUNE member organisations. It equipped participants with practical skills to analyse youth-generated data and transform it into clear messages that support advocacy and policy engagement. Building on the foundations of Phase 1, this stage focused on strengthening participants’ ability to interpret findings, craft meaningful narratives, and communicate insights to diverse audiences.

According to the participants: “I have gained valuable knowledge on how to design effective campaigns, disseminate research findings to diverse audiences, and ensure the strategic use and long-term impact of research data through exploitation. This enables me to contribute to initiatives that aim to increase visibility, influence policy, and drive meaningful change.”

4.3 Evaluation and Learning Outcomes Following each phase of the online capacity-building training, participants were completing an evaluation survey with a response rate of 72.7%. In particular, the feedback highlighted high satisfaction levels, with 100% of respondents stating that the training met or exceeded expectations. 85% of respondents rated the organization and flow of the training (structure, timing, clarity) as very good or excellent, and a strong majority 80% stated that the workshops enhanced their knowledge, confidence, and skills.

5. Youth-Led Research and Survey Implementation Building on the online training, each member organisation implemented a local survey targeting young people aged 18–30. The collective effort resulted in 472 valid responses from young people across Europe.

The majority of respondents were between 18 and 25 years old (61.9%), and most reported living in urban areas (61.9%). The survey explored young people’s experiences, priorities, and barriers related to democratic participation and civic engagement. The survey explored how young people engage in civic life, the barriers they face, their confidence in digital participation, and the issues they consider most urgent.

The findings show that Europe’s young people are active, motivated, and digitally confident, but also face persistent obstacles to fully participating in civic and democratic processes. Volunteering emerged as the most common form of engagement, followed by participation in youth exchanges and voting.

However, only a minority felt that youth are fairly represented in decision-making structures, with nearly half rating representation as low or nonexistent. Awareness of youth rights varied, with most respondents placing themselves in the “moderate” range. Across different demographics, including age, gender, residence area, and country groups, the two most frequently cited barriers to participation were a lack of information and lack of time due to work or study commitments. Financial barriers, limited institutional support, and low trust in public institutions also featured prominently.

Across all regions and groups, the issues young people want to speak up about most are clear: mental health, education, employment and skills, climate action, and anti-discrimination. These priorities reflect not only personal challenges but also broader social concerns shaping young people’s daily lives. The TUNE Network will use these insights to guide upcoming work, ensuring that the voices of young people continue to shape the agenda at local, national, and European levels.

6. Youth Participation in Action through peer exchange With the aim of complementing its research and capacity-building activities, TUNE placed strong emphasis in 2025 on experiential learning, international mobility, and peer-to-peer exchange. In particular, it included international training, follow-up actions on a local level, as well as innovative online formats to ensure that youth organisations can guide young people so they learn together and collectively shape the next steps, translating skills into concrete community-level impact.

6.1 Speed Dating: Connecting Youth Organisations Across Europe As part of its goal to strengthen peer learning and cooperation among member organisations, TUNE implemented an online Speed Dating activity in August 2025. This interactive format created structured space for representatives of youth organisations to connect bilaterally, exchange experiences, and explore opportunities for future collaboration. During the activity, the representatives of the member organisations had the opportunity to present their organisation, share local challenges related to youth participation and inclusion, and identify common interests for joint initiatives, exchanges, or advocacy actions.

During the two rounds of structured short pitches and guided discussions, participants introduced their project ideas, presented the roles their organizations could take on, and described the areas where they required support. The format encouraged identifying overlaps, discovering complementarities, and even merging smaller ideas into more ambitious, joint concepts.

6.2 International Training Course for Young People A key milestone of the 2025 programme was the International Capacity Building Training for Young People, hosted in Krushevo, North Macedonia, by TUNE member organisation CET Skopje. The decision to relocate the training from Brussels to Krushevo reflected the network’s commitment to decentralisation, inclusivity, and shared ownership. It brought together 19 young participants from across Europe to strengthen their debating, public speaking, and community engagement skills.

According to the participants: “Overall, I am satisfied with the fulfillment of my expectations and learning needs. The program was well designed, the content relevant and applicable, and the methods engaging. I had the opportunity to gain new knowledge, exchange experiences, and acquire useful tools that I can apply in practice, which fully met my expectations.” “The teamwork and group energy were incredible. It wasn’t just learning; it was connecting.”

6.3 From Training to Action: Local Youth Actions - Debates Following the international training, young people returned to their communities equipped with new tools, confidence, and a stronger sense of responsibility. The international training was a milestone both for the member organisations in regards to strengthening the knowledge and skills of their community network, and the TUNE Network since it served as an opportunity for the network to collectively train and work with young people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Rather than following a single thematic template, local actions were intentionally flexible, allowing young people to address the issues they identified as most urgent. Some of the thematic areas the youth focused on was youth participation in local-decision making, inclusion of marginalised groups and democratic education as part of civic engagement.

Local Debates

7. Network Governance and Collective Reflection Setting the aim of further structuring our network governance, the TUNE Network conducted its Annual General Assembly on 4-5 December 2025 which remains the highest decision-making body of the network.

The General Assembly took place in Thessaloniki, Greece and was organised by the United Societies of Balkans, bringing together representatives from all member organisations to reflect on the year’s progress, assess challenges, and jointly define priorities for the next cycle.

During the General Assembly, the member organisations explored key elements such as the presentation of outcomes from trainings, research, and local actions, and reflected on the network’s strategic direction. In addition, member organisations were able to exchange experiences and good practices, and network with active local civilsociety organisations from the city of Thessaloniki. Lastly, the Assembly reaffirmed TUNE’s commitment to transparency, shared responsibility, and meaningful participation at all levels of the network.

In an effort to measure the impact of the TUNE Network in 2025, we asked members to share their thoughts: “TUNE offered a great balance between online preparation and in-person meetings, supported by a transparent and collaborative co-creation process. Communication across the network was consistent and well coordinated, and the local debates stood out as particularly meaningful for engaging young people at community level.”

8. Communication, Visibility, and Outreach Communication and visibility are priorities for the TUNE Network throughout 2025, supporting transparency, outreach, and the active involvement of both member organisations and young people. We combined centralised communication through various channels and decentralised dissemination by members.

TUNE - Transnational United Network in Europe

@tune.europe

Therefore, in 2025 TUNE created social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram to share updates, promote activities, and showcase the voices and experiences of participants. The Instagram account provides a more visual and youth-friendly communication space, while Facebook supports broader outreach and engagement with partner organisations and stakeholders. Moreover, the member organisations of TUNE continued their efforts based on online presence through the TUNE website which serves as the main information hub for the network. Throughout the year, the website was regularly updated with news, activity reports, and highlights from trainings, research processes, and international meetings.

To strengthen internal communication and external outreach, the TUNE network is utilising a newsletter which was published in October 2025, to keep external audiences as well as stakeholders informed and updated about ongoing developments, upcoming activities, and opportunities for involvement. It is reinforcing a sense of shared direction and it is also uploaded on the TUNE’s website and shared by all member organisations of the network.

Member organisations played an active role in communication, promoting TUNE activities through their own websites, social media accounts, mailing lists, and local networks. It amplified visibility, ensured contextual relevance, and reinforced shared ownership of the project’s results.

9. Acknowledgements and Next Steps TUNE would like to warmly thank all member organisations, youth workers, trainers, and young participants for their active engagement and contribution throughout 2025. Their commitment, creativity, and collaboration form the backbone of the network. We would like to also thank the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union which supports this transnational cooperation and makes youth-led work possible. Looking ahead, TUNE will continue to function as a platform for cooperation, learning, and co-creation among youth organisations across Europe.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.