On April 26, 2025, Albania marked a milestone in youth entrepreneurship with the inaugural YEA Awards. This dynamic edition of the YouthStart Entrepreneurial Awards brought together visionary young minds, changemakers, and innovative thinkers from across the country to present their impactful solutions for a brighter future. Hosted in Shkodër, the event set the stage for celebrating the next generation of leaders who are shaping the future of entrepreneurship in Albania.
🏆 Recognizing Outstanding Youth-Led Initiatives
The YEA Awards are more than just a competition — they are a celebration of creativity, leadership, and the power of youth to drive change. All participating teams received Bronze Certificates in recognition of their efforts, while several projects were honored with top distinctions:
🥇 Gold Certificate Winners:
- Fortify – Best Business Idea
- Amici degli Anziani – Best Business Plan
- MyVitamin – Changemaker Award
🥈 Silver Certificate Winners:
- DOMOS – Second Best Business Plan
- SFERA – Second Best Changemaker + Public Prize 🗳️
- Vitaxtec – Second Best Business Idea
- Valbania – Third Place in Changemaker Category
These awards highlight the entrepreneurial spirit and community-driven focus that define the YouthStart movement.
🤝 Community and Collaboration Behind the Success
A successful event like the YEA Awards is only possible through the collective efforts of many supporters and partners. We would like to extend our deepest thanks to everyone who contributed to making YEA 2025 in Shkodër a reality.
🙌 Thank You to Our Supporters:
- ROTARY SAALFELDEN – our main partner and key supporter whose commitment to youth empowerment made this day possible.
- Projekt Albanien
- Qendra Rinore ARKA
- IFTE
- YouthStart
- One World Citizens
- Bashkia Shkodër
- Qendra Atelie
- Foroige
Your dedication and presence amplified the impact of this unforgettable experience for every participant.
💡 Why YEA Awards Matter
The YEA Awards 2025 serve as a platform for young people to gain visibility, validate their ideas, and connect with a larger ecosystem of support. For cities like Shkodër, hosting such initiatives brings fresh energy to the local innovation landscape and encourages long-term youth engagement.
By promoting leadership, collaboration, and solution-oriented thinking, YouthStart continues to empower the next generation to shape a more sustainable and inclusive future.
🚀 What’s Next?
Next up is the YouthStart Award, where the winners will represent their country in a European competition. This October ’25 , we have the pleasure of hosting the event in Shkoder, Albania, where participants from across Europe—including the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Germany, North Macedonia, Ireland, and more—will gather for this inspiring entrepreneurship and YouthStart competition. Stay tuned for more updates!
Together, we are building something powerful.
