Young Enterprise
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersWellington, New Zealand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Young Enterprise does
Young Enterprise Trust is a New Zealand-registered non-profit charity, founded in 1981 and headquartered in Wellington, that delivers entrepreneurial and financial literacy education programmes to secondary school students. Its flagship offering is The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme (YES), a four-term experiential programme in which Year 12-13 students set up and run a real business, complete four structured challenges (Validation, The Pitch, Promotion & Sales, Annual Review), and compete in regional and national competitions with prize pools exceeding NZ$20,000. The programme is NCEA-accredited, earning students achievement standard credits and a YES micro-credential, and reaches 85% of New Zealand secondary schools, producing over 1,000 student companies and engaging 4,687 students in 2022 alone.
The organisation's product surface extends beyond YES to include Young Navigators (a 36-hour entrepreneurship programme for Māori and Pasifika rangatahi backed by Coca-Cola NZ, One NZ, and Pacific Business Trust), Entrepreneurs in Action (EIA) weekend events, Spark Tank regional pitch competitions, and the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame (an annual induction ceremony established in 1994). Technology delivery is supported by a Teacher Dashboard for student enrollment and progress tracking, a Student Portal for programme access, and YES Market, an online marketplace where student companies sell their products. Kaiārahi Ako (Teaching Mentors) deliver free classroom resources and financial capability units to schools nationwide.
Revenue is generated through four streams: NZ$55 per-student programme fees paid by schools, tiered corporate sponsorships (Platinum, Gold, Silver, National), government funding (Ministry of Youth Development, Ministry of Education), and individual donations and bequests channelled via a Givealittle page. The sponsorship ecosystem includes over 20 named partners spanning consumer goods (Coca-Cola, HSBC), professional services (Deloitte, EY, CAANZ), technology (Xero, Fujitsu, Accenture), and energy (Top Energy), with The Lion Foundation serving as Platinum sponsor and programme namesake. The organisation describes itself as a lean charity operating through a network of regional coordinators, school engagement managers, business mentors, and volunteers.
Young Enterprise firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Young Enterprise
- Legal name
- Young Enterprise Trust
- Website
- https://youngenterprise.org.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Young Enterprise industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Entrepreneurship Education
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Financial Literacy, Budgeting & Personal Finance (EDAMAHAE)
Keywords
Where Young Enterprise is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wellington
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Young Enterprise business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Student Fees: Schools pay $55 per student participating in the YES programme. Membership is free for New Zealand-based teachers and students.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and National tiered corporate sponsorships. Sponsors include The Lion Foundation, Ministry of Youth Development, Ministry of Education, Coca-Cola NZ, Xero, HSBC, and many others. Funding supports programme delivery and national prize pools.
- Donations: Individual donations accepted via Givealittle page. Charity relies on sponsors, supporters and donors to reach students across NZ schools.
- Bequests: Legacy giving programme for long-term supporter engagement
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Annual | YES Programme - Student Fee |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Young Enterprise product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Young Enterprise Trust delivers The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme (YES), an experiential entrepreneurship education programme in which Years 12-13 students set up and run a real business across four challenges (Validation, The Pitch, Promotion & Sales, Annual Review), earning NCEA credits and a micro-credential. Complementary programmes include Young Navigators for Māori and Pasifika students, Entrepreneurs in Action (EIA) weekend events, YES Spark Tank regional pitches, Classroom Resources delivered by Kaiārahi Ako teaching mentors, and the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame. The organisation is supported by Teacher Dashboard, Student Portal, and YES Market digital platforms.
Product overview
Young Enterprise is a New Zealand charity that provides entrepreneurial education programmes for secondary school students. The core product is The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme (YES), an experiential learning programme where students set up and run real businesses. The YES programme is delivered over 4 terms to Years 12-13 students and includes four challenges (Validation, The Pitch, Promotion & Sales, Annual Review) leading to national competitions with over $20,000 in prizes. Supporting programmes include Young Navigators (for Māori and Pasifika students), Entrepreneurs in Action (EIA) weekend events, YES Spark Tank regional pitches, and the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame. The organisation also provides a Teacher Dashboard for programme management, a Student Portal for participant access, YES Market for student companies to sell products, and free classroom resources including games and units of work delivered by Kaiārahi Ako (Teaching Mentors).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- YES: The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme - an experiential programme where students set up and run a real business
- Young Navigators
- Entrepreneurs in Action (EIA)
- New Zealand Business Hall of Fame
Products and services
- The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) An experiential learning programme in which Years 12-13 secondary school students set up and run a real business, creating and selling their own product or service. The programme delivers NCEA Levels 1-3 Business Studies credits and a YES micro-credential, structured around four challenges: Validation, The Pitch, Promotion & Sales, and Annual Review, culminating in regional and national competitions with a prize pool exceeding $20,000. Schools pay $55 per student to participate.
- Young Navigators An entrepreneurial education programme designed for Māori and Pasifika secondary school students, delivered through 36-hour business challenges that build entrepreneurial capability, leadership, and cultural identity. Supported by Coca-Cola NZ, One NZ, and Pacific Business Trust.
- Entrepreneurs in Action (EIA) An annual high-energy business challenge weekend in which engaged YES students compete in two back-to-back business challenges over 48 hours, with overseas business experiences to Latin America and Southeast Asia tied to top performers.
- New Zealand Business Hall of Fame
Quantifiable outcome
- 85% of NZ secondary schools reached
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Young Enterprise
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Young Enterprise technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Young Enterprise partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- The Duke of Edinburgh Cup New ZealandcoreYoung Enterprise announced as official charity partner for inaugural tournament. Partnership strengthens entrepreneurial education opportunities for rangatahi. Winners qualify for World Finals at Windsor Castle.
- XerocoreNew partnership announced to bring Know Your Numbers programme to YES network, designed to strengthen financial literacy among small business owners and non-profits across Aotearoa.
- Victoria University Latin America Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence (LatAm CAPE)supportingPartners on Latin America focus for YES students, enabling overseas business experiences to Latin American markets.
- Massey UniversitysupportingUniversity partner providing $5,000 scholarships to YES Company of the Year winners for each company member.
- Victoria University of WellingtonsupportingListed as supporter; partners on Latin America initiatives through LatAm CAPE.
- The IcehousesupportingEntrepreneurship development organisation listed as supporter, connecting YES alumni to wider startup ecosystem.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Young Enterprise competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Young Enterprise social profiles
Digital presenceYoung Enterprise financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Young Enterprise leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Young Enterprise funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Young Enterprise M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Young Enterprise
What does Young Enterprise do?
Young Enterprise Trust delivers The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme (YES), an experiential entrepreneurship education programme in which Years 12-13 students set up and run a real business across four challenges (Validation, The Pitch, Promotion & Sales, Annual Review), earning NCEA credits and a micro-credential. Complementary programmes include Young Navigators for Māori and Pasifika students, Entrepreneurs in Action (EIA) weekend events, YES Spark Tank regional pitches, Classroom Resources delivered by Kaiārahi Ako teaching mentors, and the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame. The organisation is supported by Teacher Dashboard, Student Portal, and YES Market digital platforms.
Is Young Enterprise a public or private company?
Young Enterprise is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Young Enterprise founded?
Young Enterprise was founded in 1981. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Young Enterprise based?
Young Enterprise is headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Young Enterprise make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Student Fees are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships, donations and bequests.
Does Young Enterprise have an API?
No public API is recorded for Young Enterprise.
What industry is Young Enterprise in?
Young Enterprise's product category is Youth Entrepreneurship Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAHAC, Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators, with a secondary code of EDAMAHAB, Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days). Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8200.