Wings for Youth

What Wings for Youth does

Wings for Youth (legal name: Asociația Wings for Youth) is a Romanian non-governmental organization founded in 2015 and headquartered in Onești, Bacau, Romania. The organization operates as a coordination and participation entity within the European Commission's Erasmus+ Programme, primarily under KA1 (Learning Mobility of Individuals) funding. Its core activities consist of organizing and participating in international youth exchanges (typical cohort of 24-32 participants from 4-6 countries), training courses for youth workers (e.g., 'Star of Europe', 'Feel the Flow'), study visits to EU institutions (in partnership with Institutul Qvorum), and thematic seminars on topics such as gender equality, entrepreneurship, and environmental awareness. Representative projects include 'Plant a Tree, Grow Hope' (Spain, 2019), 'Art in the Sky' (Turkey), 'Greenovation' (Greece), 'Be an Entrepreneur and Create' (Poland), and 'Wings for You(th)' (Romania).

The organization has no proprietary technology product. Its delivery model relies on non-formal education methodologies, experiential learning, and in-person facilitation delivered through a partner network of 17+ European NGOs spanning Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Turkey, Poland, Macedonia, Italy, Germany, Czech Republic, Armenia, Hungary, Portugal, Cyprus, Estonia, and Lithuania. The leadership team is led by President Mădălina-Elena Stratone, with a Coordinator (Vlad Constantin Lupica), group leaders, and members. Total headcount is approximately 9.

The business model is grant-funded: the European Commission (Erasmus+ Programme) is the sole disclosed financial backer, with projects proposed through Romanian National Agency channels and approved on a project-cycle basis. There is no participation fee charged to most youth participants; transport is reimbursed up to EUR 275-360 per participant, and meals, accommodation, and activity costs are covered by project funding. Some projects carry a small participant contribution (e.g., EUR 50 for Greenovation). Marketing and participant recruitment are conducted via a WordPress blog, Facebook page, Connect FM radio interviews, conference participation, and partner-organization referrals. There is no indication of commercial revenue streams, fee-for-service offerings, or earned income beyond grant funding.

Name

Wings for Youth

Legal name

Asociația Wings for Youth

Website

https://wings4youth.wordpress.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wings for Youth (Asociația Wings for Youth) is a Romanian non-governmental organization founded in 2015 that coordinates international youth exchanges, training courses, and study visits for young people aged 13-30 across 16+ European countries, operating primarily on European Commission Erasmus+ KA1 grant funding through a network of 17+ partner NGOs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ), Leadership, Debate & Model UN Camps (EDAMALAK)

Keywords

• Youth exchange programs
• Non-formal education
• Erasmus+ mobility
• Cultural exchange services
• International youth training

Headquarters

HQ city

Romania

HQ country

Romania

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Erasmus+ Programme Funding: Primary funding source through European Commission grants under the Erasmus+ programme. The organization receives KA1 (Learning Mobility of Individuals) funding to organize youth exchanges, training courses, and strategic partnerships across European countries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wings for Youth is a Romanian NGO that organizes and participates in international youth exchanges, training courses, study visits, and seminars under the European Commission's Erasmus+ Programme. The organization delivers non-formal education experiences for young people aged 13-30 across more than 15 European countries, covering themes such as social inclusion, environmental sustainability, entrepreneurship, European citizenship, and gender equality. All programmes are funded through Erasmus+ grants, with no participation fees for most projects.

Product overview

Wings for Youth is a Romanian non-governmental organization that operates as a coordination and participation entity within the European Erasmus+ Programme. The organization does not offer technology products but instead provides a portfolio of youth development services including international youth exchanges, training courses for youth workers, study visits to EU institutions, and educational seminars. These services are delivered in partnership with organizations across Europe and are designed to promote youth inclusion, intercultural dialogue, active citizenship, and skill development among young people aged 13-30.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Exchanges (Erasmus+ Programme) International youth mobility programs financed by the European Commission through the Erasmus+ Programme, bringing together young people aged 13-30 from multiple countries for cultural exchange, skill development, and cross-border collaboration. Projects typically involve 24-32 participants from 4-6 countries, with Wings for Youth sending 5-6 participants plus a group leader per project.
• Training Courses Educational programs for youth workers and leaders focusing on skills development, project management, capacity building, and personal development, such as the 'Star of Europe' training course and strategic partnership courses. These include specialized training-of-trainers programs on emotional intelligence and personal development.
• Study Visits Immersive visits to European Union institutions and organizations, such as the Brussels Study Visit programme conducted in partnership with Qvorum Institute, providing insights into EU mechanisms and policy-making.
• Youthpass Certificates Recognition certificates issued upon completion of Erasmus+ youth projects, documenting non-formal learning outcomes and skills acquired during international youth activities.
• Seminars and Workshops Educational seminars on topics such as gender equality, non-discrimination in the workplace, and strategic partnerships, often organized in collaboration with partner organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Youth exchanges bring together 24-32 participants from 4-6 countries
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• EcolectivocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental and community organization in Vigo, Spain. Hosted the 'Plant a Tree, Grow Hope' youth exchange focused on reforestation and sustainable community building. Partnership involves joint implementation of ecological youth projects at Ecolectivo's permaculture site.
• Gazikent Gençlik ve Sanat Topluluğu (Turkey)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTurkish youth and art organization coordinating 'Art in the Sky' youth exchange in Gaziantep, Turkey. Project focused on art and culture with participants from Romania, Turkey, Poland, Macedonia, and Italy.
• Hopeland (Greece)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEco-community farm in Greece that hosted the 'Greenovation' eco-building youth exchange. Located in Nafplio area. Partnership focused on sustainable living, eco-construction, and community building.
• Fundacja Arena i Świat (Poland)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolish foundation that organized 'Be an Entrepreneur and Create' training course in Leszno, Poland. Brought together youth from 9 countries to learn about entrepreneurship and creative thinking.
• Institutul Qvorum (Romania)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRomanian institute that organizes Study Visits to Brussels and conferences on European affairs. Wings for Youth participates in EU institutional visits and has collaborated on 'Europa 2016' conference.
• Asociația de Tineret Onestin (Romania)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal youth association in Onești, Romania. Partner in 'Wings for You(th)' youth exchange project. Diana Ciobanu serves as both president of this organization and Romanian group leader.
• Bulgarian Youth CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBulgarian partner organization participating in multiple youth exchanges. Emil Georgiev represents this organization as group leader.
• Change it! (Czech Republic)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCzech partner organization. Jaroslav Gracik represents this organization in youth exchange projects.
• Sof Dagi Youth and Sport (Turkey)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTurkish partner organization. Anil Ozer represents this organization in youth exchange projects.
• Arrabal AID (Spain)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish partner organization. Musa Mballow B. Ferrouj represents this organization in youth exchange projects.
• Loesje ArmeniamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArmenian organization that organized 'Feel the Flow' Training of Trainers in Dilijan, Armenia (August 2016). Wings for Youth sent two participants for emotional intelligence and personal development training.
• Associazione Culturale Strauss (Italy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian cultural association participating in the 'Art in the Sky' youth exchange project.
• Stowarzyszenie Sztukater Association (Poland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolish art association participating in the 'Art in the Sky' youth exchange project.
• Center for Education and Development (Macedonia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMacedonian organization participating in the 'Art in the Sky' youth exchange project.
• Liga Studenților Electroniști (Romania)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRomanian student organization. Alexandru Mădălin-Costea represented this organization at the 'Star of Europe' training course in Kayseri, Turkey.
• Asociația Studenților Biotehnologi (Romania)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRomanian student association. Tomescu Justinian (president) participated in the advanced planning visit for the 'Wings for You(th)' project.
• Desenam Viitorul Tau (Romania)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRomanian partner organization collaborating on 'Wings for You(th)' youth exchange project.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• AFS Intercultural Programs: One of the world's largest international youth exchange organizations, offering long-term and short-term programmes similar to Wings for Youth's Erasmus+ youth exchanges. Directly comparable as both compete for the same pan-European youth mobility pool and deploy similar non-formal education methodologies.
• European Solidarity Corps: EU funding programme providing grants for youth volunteering and solidarity projects, structurally and operationally similar to Erasmus+ KA1. Directly comparable as both Wings for Youth and the Corps serve the same 18-30 youth mobility segment with EU institutional funding.
• Youth for Understanding (YFU): Long-established international student and youth exchange organization operating across Europe and globally. Comparable to Wings for Youth in its non-formal education approach, focus on intercultural learning, and use of European mobility funding.
• CISV International: Global nonprofit providing intercultural youth programmes including village-style exchanges, family-based homestays, and theme-based camps. Comparable in delivering multi-country youth exchanges with experiential learning methodologies.
• AIESEC: Global youth organization running international volunteer exchanges and leadership programmes with Erasmus+ and corporate partnerships. Comparable in targeting 18-30 year-olds for international mobility experiences and skill development.

Emerging players

• AEGEE-Europe: European student forum running youth exchanges, training events, and thematic projects funded through Erasmus+. Comparable in its focus on European citizenship, youth empowerment, and KA1-style mobility projects.

Others

• European Youth Forum: Umbrella platform representing European youth organizations to EU institutions. Comparable to Wings for Youth in its engagement with European Commission youth policy, though it operates as an advocacy body rather than a direct programme deliverer.
• SALTO-YOUTH: European Commission resource centre supporting Erasmus+ youth organizations with training, partnerships, and capacity building. Comparable ecosystem participant that Wings for Youth interacts with through the European youth work infrastructure.

Direct peers

• Erasmus Student Network (ESN): Pan-European student organization providing mobility support and engagement for Erasmus+ participants, including grassroots events and skill-building activities. Highly comparable to Wings for Youth in delivering non-formal education within the Erasmus+ ecosystem.
• Service Civil International (SCI): International volunteering organization running short-term workcamps and youth exchanges focused on intercultural understanding and social inclusion. Directly comparable to Wings for Youth's community-based, non-formal education approaches under Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wings4youthngo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wings-for-youth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wings for Youth