Young Enterprise Trust

Making a difference by introducing young people to business, entrepreneurship and financial literacy.

Nationwide

Young Enterprise has a legacy spanning 45 years and supporting over 100,000 alumni.

Investing in the capability of young people is not a ‘nice to have’... it is economic infrastructure. Not because young people are a problem to solve, but because they are one of New Zealand’s greatest sources of untapped capability, creativity and innovation.

At Young Enterprise, we see what happens when young people are trusted early:

- confidence grows

- ideas become action

- communities rally behind them

- mentors return year after year

- alumni come back to invest in the next generation

For every $1 invested in YES, there is a social return on investment of $5.80 (Impact Lab, YES SROI 2022). But the impact goes far beyond economics. It creates:

- belonging

- agency

- leadership

- innovation

- stronger local ecosystems

- and young people who believe they can shape the future, not just inherit it

The opportunity in front of New Zealand is enormous if we choose to back the next generation with intention. We'd love your help in keeping the legacy of YES going for the next 45 years and increasing out impact to go further to support NEETS through YES for Communities and stronger pathway support post-YES to help launch our young people forward. Thank you for being part of this mission to build the next generation that will support a prosperous future for New Zealand!

More about us

Young Enterprise exists because every generation needs builders. For 45 years, YES has helped young people discover confidence, capability, agency and a a belief that they can shape their own future.

We work with over 5,000 secondary students from over 200 schools each year, many experiencing: their first taste of leadership, their first failure and recovery, their first moment of believing “I can do this!”, their first creation of a real business, with supportive mentors, market validation and a national stage to share what they’ve made.

YES doesn’t just teach business, it builds self belief that creates momentum capable of reshaping communities, industries, and futures.