Youth Business International
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Youth Business International funds its members rather than open projects, so it fits only if your organisation already supports young entrepreneurs aged 18 to 35 to start, scale and sustain their businesses.
- Do not apply unless you have delivered entrepreneurship programmes for at least three years, can provide KPIs biannually, are committed to taking part in YBI activities, and are a registered non-profit, social enterprise or social purpose organisation.
- Most grants are small: about 8 in 10 of its 32 grants to organisations fall between £1,000 and £160,000, and the median is £2,000, though the largest was about £245,000, so a modest request is likely to fit best.
- The annual report gives no published application process beyond membership, which starts with an online application form, after which suitable applicants are invited to meet the Membership Team.
Overview
Youth Business International is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1123946).
Youth Business International is a charity registered in England and Wales that supports aspiring young entrepreneurs around the world to start, scale and sustain their businesses. It makes operational and innovation grants to its members, which include entrepreneurship support organisations, business support organisations, incubators and accelerators, universities, NGOs and social enterprises, to strengthen their ability to support young entrepreneurs. Its grants focus on youth entrepreneurship, social and green entrepreneurship, business skills and access to finance, and it paid out £1,500,000 in the latest annual report.
What they fund
Priority Areas
YBI makes operational and innovation grants to its members to strengthen their ability to support young entrepreneurs. Its members include entrepreneurship support organisations, business support organisations, incubators and accelerators, universities, NGOs and social enterprises. The wider work supports underserved young entrepreneurs aged 18–35 around the world to start, scale and sustain businesses. It develops member capability and delivery quality through solutions involving business skills, innovation, talent, finance and access to markets. Its model is adapted to local contexts and cultures and focuses on the entrepreneur journey from start-up to growth, including businesses with a social or green impact mission.
Themes
- Youth entrepreneurship
- Social and green entrepreneurship
- Business skills
- Access to finance
Geographic Focus
Worldwide.
What they don't fund
- Organisations that do not support young entrepreneurs (aged 18-35) to start, scale and sustain their businesses
- Organisations that have not been delivering entrepreneurship programmes for at least three years
- Organisations that are unable to provide KPIs biannually to YBI
- Organisations that are not committed to engaging and participating in YBI activities
- Organisations that are not a registered non-profit, social enterprise or social purpose organisation
How to apply
Organisations can apply for YBI membership by completing the online application form; suitable applicants are invited to meet with the Membership Team.
Who can apply:
- YBI Membership
- YBI Membership is open to organisations that support young entrepreneurs to start, scale, and sustain businesses. Our Members include entrepreneurship support organisations (ESOs), business support organisations, incubators and accelerators, universities, NGOs and social enterprises.
- Support a large number of young entrepreneurs (aged 18-35) each year to start, scale, and sustain their businesses.
- Have been delivering entrepreneurship programmes for at least three years.
- Be able to provide KPIs biannually to YBI.
- Be committed to engaging and participating in YBI activities.
- You are a registered non-profit, social enterprise or social purpose organisation.
- Your organisation has been operating for at least 3 years.
- You are able to provide KPIs biannually to YBI.
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- To qualify for YBI membership, an organisation should support a large number of young entrepreneurs aged 18–35 each year.
- To qualify for YBI membership, an organisation should have delivered entrepreneurship programmes for at least three years.
- YBI membership applicants should be able to provide KPIs biannually.
- YBI membership applicants should be committed to engaging and participating in YBI activities.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
- International
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to Youth Business International.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 32 grants in year to 31 December 2025 by size
Median £2,000 (year to 31 December 2025)
The largest grants to organisations in this funder’s latest annual report:
- PT Kanika Era Cahaya (Instellar)£244,000year to 31 December 2025
- The Somo Project (Kenya)£169,000year to 31 December 2025
- Youth Business Poland£168,000year to 31 December 2025
- School for Social Entrepreneurs£160,000year to 31 December 2025
- KIZ Sinnova (Germany)£129,000year to 31 December 2025
- Associacao Alianca Empreendedora£117,000year to 31 December 2025
- Habitat Dernegi (Turkey)£115,000year to 31 December 2025
- Inner City Enterprise (Ireland)£76,000year to 31 December 2025
Grant examples taken from the funder’s filed accounts. Not included above: 1 with no amount stated.
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 December 2021 | £2,784,000 | £4,046,000 | £1,780,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2021 |
| year to 31 December 2022 | £6,119,000 | £4,988,000 | £2,887,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2022 |
| year to 31 December 2023 | £4,584,000 | £4,822,000 | £2,262,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2023 |
| year to 31 December 2024 | £3,901,000 | £5,149,000 | £1,997,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2024 |
| year to 31 December 2025 | £3,491,000 | £3,971,000 | £1,500,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2025 |
Income vs grants paid
IncomeGrants paid
Total value each financial year
Grants paid stayed within income across the 5 years shown.
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2021; year to 31 December 2022; year to 31 December 2023; year to 31 December 2024: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2025: grants paid out in the year.
Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- youthbusiness.org
- youthbusiness.org/become-a-member · read on 30 October 2026
- youthbusiness.org/what-we-do · read on 30 October 2026
- youthbusiness.org/contact · read on 30 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 31 December 2025)
This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.
Sources last checked on 30 October 2026.
🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.
Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.
Data privacy and security by default
Your organisation's past successful grants and experience
AI analysis of what reviewers want to see
A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours
Spotted something that needs correcting? Let us know
At a glance
Applying to Youth Business International?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- info@youthbusiness.orgsource
- communications@youthbusiness.orgsource
- PO Box 77626, London, EC1P 1GNsource
- youthbusiness.org
- Contact form
Applying to Youth Business International?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- info@youthbusiness.orgsource
- communications@youthbusiness.orgsource
- PO Box 77626, London, EC1P 1GNsource
- youthbusiness.org
- Contact form