The Porto Metropolitan Area (AMP) has had a new application approved under the Erasmus+ Programme – Small-Scale Partnerships in Youth (KA210-YOU), with the project “Youth Participation and Rural Innovation: Empowering Young People as Active Agents in Regional Development”, acronym AGENTS – Active Generation Empowering New Territorial Solutions.

Starting on 1 March 2026 and lasting 18 months, the project is led by the AMP and has national and international partners: APPJUVENTUDE, Helix – Social Innovation Hub / Karditsa (Greece) and Municipiul Râmnicu Sărat (Romania).

Why the project was created

The application responds to concerns identified by young people within the Youth Monitor project (AMP) and the participatory assessment carried out in the 17 municipalities of the AMP, as well as the work developed by the Strategy Group for Youth.

Among the main challenges highlighted by young people are:

• Difficulties in accessing skilled and stable employment.

• Obstacles to emancipation due to a lack of affordable housing.

• Limitations in mobility and public transport.

• Digital exclusion.

• Insufficient cultural and participatory offer.

AGENTS’ objectives

The project aims to:

• Give young people a voice, ensuring that 40% of them participate from groups with fewer opportunities, in rural, peri-urban and urban contexts.

• Produce 19 local characterizations (17 AMP + 2 international partners) to gather priorities on employment, housing, mobility and cultural participation.

• Identify 12 best practices in youth policies and projects that can be replicated in different contexts.

• Co-create tools and products to support territorial work with and for young people.

Expected impact

The main expected results include:

• Innovative models for listening and active participation.

• Comparability and transnational transferability.

• Strengthening of the organisational capacities of the entities involved.

• Integration of results into municipal policies and youth strategies.

• Development of final products such as local characterization, recommendations, a database of good practices, a mini quality reference guide, a bilingual booklet and a youth kit.

• Youth-led digital campaign and dissemination actions.

The experience gained will enable the AMP to strengthen its leading role in inter-municipal cooperation, consolidating innovative practices and promoting youth participation as a driver of regional development.