Uniting young entrepreneurs as a force for good

17-21 June 2024
London, UK

Be part of the generation for change

A unique opportunity for young entrepreneurs supported by YBI members to learn from impact entrepreneurship experts, collaborate with peers from around the world, and be shortlisted for the Global Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award during a five day bootcamp in London, UK this June. Meet the participants here.

About the Bootcamp

As the only organisation dedicated to youth entrepreneurship globally, at Youth Business International (YBI), we know that entrepreneurship is transformative and that when youth-led businesses thrive, they create new jobs, shape local communities, and drive economic growth.

In 2024, we’re expanding our biannual Global Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards into a five day bootcamp for a cohort of underserved, high performing youth businesses – some of the best young entrepreneurs currently working with our global network of members.

The Bootcamp – which is available to young entrepreneurs supported by YBI members, is free to apply to and includes all expenses paid – will take place in London for five days in June 2024. It will focus on delivering transformational learning experiences and building global business relationships. The 30 participants will exchange and learn with experts, develop their entrepreneurial growth mindset, refine pitch skills and master effective leadership, all while networking with peers and business leaders to form lasting supportive relationships.

Applications close 16 February.

What’s on the agenda?

Aside from the unique opportunity to gain new global perspectives and meet like-minded impact entrepreneurs from around the world, participants will:

Hear from inspiring successful entrepreneurs
Develop a journey to scale
Perfect your entrepreneur’s tale
Build a growth mindset
Benefit from leadership skills and emotional intelligence development
Attend a strategic networking masterclass
Strengthen pitch training and showcasing skills
Network with leading founders and influencers
Experience a taste of London

Global Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards

Bootcamp participants will have the exclusive opportunity to be shortlisted for the Global Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards and monetary prizes. There are three categories.

Social entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurs leading a business with the primary goal of addressing and solving societal challenges, e.g. poverty, inequality, education, and healthcare.

Climate entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurs leading a business with the primary goal of combatting climate change and its associated challenges, working in areas such as energy efficiency, carbon capture, waste management, sustainable agriculture, water resource management, climate adaptation, etc.

Sustainable entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurs leading a business which integrates economic, social and environmental considerations into its core operations and decision-making.

The remaining 21 young entrepreneurs will continue to have access to an online networking platform for the whole cohort where they can continue to share challenges and successes and support their peers who have been shortlisted for the awards.

There will be three rounds to decide the award winners.

Pitch judging at the Bootcamp will select the nine finalists.
Public voting will open in July to help decide the winner.
A second pitching session will take place before the Global Youth Entrepreneurship Summit where winners will be announced.

Eligibility

You will need to meet the following criteria to apply to the Youth Business International Bootcamp:

You must be born between 1 November 1989 and 1 January 2006 to enter.
You must be receiving support or have received support within the last 24 months from a YBI member.
You must be an Entrepreneur / Business Owner of a business within the Impact Entrepreneurship (see definition below) space.
Your business must be at least three years in operation with evidence of multiple projects being launched to market.
The financial analysis of your business must show evidence to support the argument that the business has High Growth Potential (see definition below).
Your business must have the potential to win one of the three Global Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards categories mentioned above.

What do we mean by Impact Entrepreneurship and High Growth Potential?

Impact Entrepreneurship

Businesses make efforts to create, develop, and sustain business models that pursue social or environmental goals as an integral part of the model, together with financial success. Usually, businesses that focus on:

Climate impact entrepreneurship
Social impact entrepreneurship
Sustainable impact entrepreneurship
Inclusive impact entrepreneurship

High Growth Potential

Businesses are those that can grow in the future by selling more products and services to existing customers or by acquiring new customers quickly. These businesses show future ability to: