For Schools

For Businesses

The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge with £10,000 prize – Application Deadline: 19th January 2024

The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge from Verizon and Unloc is back for 2024! Do you work with 16–25 year olds that have a tech idea that could support one of the UN’s sustainable development goals? This could be their chance to turn their aspirations into reality! The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge can help them get their business off the ground, or boost their existing start-up to the next level.

This year’s prizes are bigger and better than ever; Cash award of £10K (12K€*)

  • The overall winner will receive a £10,000 (12,000€*) grant to help accelerate their business idea or start-up. Runners up will received £1,000 (€1,200)
    • *Approximate Euro equivalent. The actual prize will be calculated based on the exchange rate at the time of the award.

One-to-one mentorship

  • The winner will be paired with an executive mentor, who will create an individual plan focused on the winner’s key priorities. They’ll also get a series of exclusive masterclasses with a variety of industry experts.

Global One Young World Summit

  • The winner will also get a trip to the One Young World 2024 Global Summit in Montréal. This annual event brings together many of the brightest young leaders from 190+ countries and 250+ organisations.

New Supporters Page: Click Here

New to 2024, we have a dedicated supporters page that has a whole range of materials to help share this incredible opportunity to young people in your institution/network. Including, personalised images for social & digital posters where you can personalise with your organisation’s logo for you to promote The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge.

YEC are really keen to open this opportunity to as many young people aged 16-25 as possible and your organisation’s help could help a young person achieve their potential and solve one of the world’s biggest challenges. Please find further information in the supporters pack (shared on the image) which goes into more detail about the challenge and previous winners.

What Schools Say About Us

Being part of the Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire Careers Hub has been pivotal to the development of careers provision in our school. The Hub have shared good practice across their members resulting in a stronger focus on good quality provision. The annual event enabled the hub to share their vision of School Improvement Through The Lens of Careers and looking beyond the Benchmarks. It was a fantastic opportunity to share different models of school improvement and strategies to further develop careers provision to enhance the future opportunities of our young people.

Mrs A Spencer, John Taylor High School

What Businesses Say About Us

It it superb to be able to speak with local schools, colleges, and businesses in Stoke and Staffs and show how important the partnerships are to bring the skills of the future. Educating those who educate the ones shaping the aspirations of young people is essential for the industry to grow and be more sustainable.”

Alison Tucker, St Modwen