The King’s Trust Aotearoa New Zealand

What The King’s Trust Aotearoa New Zealand does

The King's Trust Aotearoa New Zealand is a registered charitable trust (CC56358) operating as the New Zealand chapter of the global King's Trust network founded in 1976 by King Charles III. The organization was officially launched in Aotearoa in May 2022 and provides an integrated enterprise development programme for young New Zealanders aged 17-30, combining free training workshops, one-on-one mentoring, networking, and access to seed funding. Its core products include the Enterprise Programme (workshops and mentoring), the He Kākano Seed Fund (a $2 million public-private partnership with the Ministry of Youth Development providing $5,000-$20,000 grants), the Taiohi Traders marketplace collective, and the Art in the Park exhibition programme. The organization operates with a lean team of approximately seven staff and reports funding 110 youth-led businesses since launch, with portfolio brands spanning fashion, music, gaming, automotive, photography, food, and mental health services.

The business model is grant-funded philanthropy rather than commercial revenue. The $2 million He Kākano seed fund was structured as $1 million from the Ministry of Youth Development matched dollar-for-dollar by private philanthropy and corporate sponsors including Alvarium, Forsyth Barr, DLA Piper, Robinson Duo, Bayleys Foundation, Clare, and MAS. The Trust monetizes nothing from programme participants; all services are free to young entrepreneurs. Distribution is direct via in-person and online workshops across multiple New Zealand cities (West Auckland, Porirua, Gisborne, Rotorua, Greymouth, Hawke's Bay, Queenstown), through an academic partnership with Auckland University of Technology (Ara Tipu 10-week course), and via alumni channels including Taiohi Traders marketplace and the Kete of Creativity showcased at the Prince's Trust Global Gala in New York. The customer base is deliberately long-tail and distributed across hundreds of small youth-led businesses and individual entrepreneurs, with no concentration in any single enterprise account.

Name

The King’s Trust Aotearoa New Zealand

Legal name

The King's Trust Aotearoa New Zealand

Website

https://kingstrust.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The King's Trust Aotearoa New Zealand is a registered charitable trust that provides free enterprise training, mentoring, networking, and $5,000-$20,000 He Kākano seed grants to young New Zealanders aged 17-30, operating as the NZ chapter of the global King's Trust founded in 1976.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Entrepreneurship Support Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Youth entrepreneurship support
• Enterprise training programs
• Seed funding grants
• Business mentoring services
• Young entrepreneur development

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. He Kākano Seed Fund Distribution: The trust distributes seed funding to young entrepreneurs through its He Kākano programme. $1 million provided by government via Ministry of Youth Development, matched dollar-for-dollar by private philanthropy and business sponsors. The fund grants $5,000-$20,000 to youth-led businesses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The King's Trust Aotearoa New Zealand provides an integrated enterprise development journey for young people aged 17-30 years, including free training workshops, business mentoring, networking, and access to the He Kākano Seed Fund (NZD 5,000-20,000 grants). It is a registered charitable trust that runs in-person and online enterprise workshops, matches entrepreneurs with experienced mentors, and distributes seed grants backed by a NZD 2 million public-private partnership with the Ministry of Youth Development.

Product overview

The King's Trust Aotearoa New Zealand operates as a unified youth entrepreneurship support organization offering the Enterprise Programme as its core product. This integrated programme consists of four key components: Enterprise Workshops (training), Business Mentoring, Networking opportunities, and access to the He Kākano Seed Fund (funding). Additional complementary offerings include Art in the Park (artist showcase programme) and Taiohi Traders Marketplace (youth business collective). The organization also showcases portfolio brands of funded entrepreneurs including Lalaga, Kōkō Chillers, Awhi Company, Lulah Collective, Cleaner Cars, Balmanno Sportwear, Kohatrade, and others representing diverse industries from fashion to food services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• He Kākano: A $2 million seed fund for young entrepreneurs aged 17-30 years, providing grants of $5,000-$20,000 to support youth-led businesses.
• Taiohi Traders
• Art in the Park

Products and services

• Enterprise Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• 110 youth-led businesses funded since May 2022
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Auckland University of Technology (AUT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Delivers Ara Tipu, a 10-week course for young entrepreneurs. Course completion qualifies participants for He Kākano funding opportunity. 2026 Cohort One and Two enrolments now open.
• MAS (insurance company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch the MAS Emerging Artists' Gallery featuring young artists from The King's Trust's Art in the Park programme. First-time collective exhibition opportunity.
• The King's Trust Global NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of global King's Trust network including UK, Australia, Canada, USA, and international entities. Global Gala events, shared resources, and international award programmes. Funds distributed from global events support enterprise work across member countries.
• Lionel RichiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Ambassador and Chairman of the Global Ambassador Board for The Prince's Trust. Co-chaired the Prince's Trust Global Gala in New York (2022 and 2023), attracting global media attention.
• Edward Enninful OBEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Ambassador and Editor of British Vogue. Co-chaired the Prince's Trust Global Gala in New York (2022 and 2023), helping attract influential names in fashion and entertainment.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• The Prince's Trust UK (King's Trust UK): The founding and largest entity in the King's Trust global network, founded 1976 by King Charles III. Operates identical youth enterprise programs (training, mentoring, seed funding) and shares brand, board, and global ambassador assets directly with the New Zealand entity. The two are sister organizations within the same global charity family.
• The King's Trust International: International arm of the King's Trust network focused on extending the youth enterprise model to developing markets globally. Operates with the same brand and methodology but serves as the parent affiliate for cross-border program expansion, including potential future NZ-related international work.
• Young Enterprise Trust (NZ): New Zealand-based charitable trust delivering enterprise education programs to secondary school students and young people. Closest direct competitor in the NZ youth entrepreneurship space, with overlapping curriculum focus but different target age cohorts (school vs. 17-30).
• The King's Trust Canada: Canadian counterpart within the global King's Trust network, delivering parallel youth entrepreneurship training, mentoring, and seed funding programs. Shares brand identity and global network resources while operating independently in the Canadian market.
• The King's Trust Australia: Direct sister organization under the global King's Trust network, delivering the same Enterprise program model for Australian youth aged 17-30. Shares the global brand, ambassador roster, and program methodology, but operates independently within the Australian market with its own funding base.
• The King's Trust USA: US-based entity in the same global King's Trust network, delivering parallel youth enterprise programs with shared brand, Global Gala fundraising events, and global ambassador engagement (Lionel Richie, Edward Enninful). Closely comparable mission and program design.

Regional players

• Akina Foundation: New Zealand social enterprise development agency providing capability building, networking, and impact investment pathways to mission-driven enterprises. Comparable in supporting purpose-led NZ entrepreneurs but focuses more broadly on social enterprises rather than youth-specific programs.

Others

• Te Puni Kōkiri (Ministry of Māori Development): New Zealand government ministry advancing Māori development, including Māori business and entrepreneurship support. Strategic ecosystem partner given the trust's Māori-cultural integration (He Kākano, Te Arataura-aligned governance) and potential co-funding source for indigenous youth enterprise programs.
• Ministry of Youth Development (MYD): New Zealand government agency providing youth policy and funding programs. Major funder and operational partner of The King's Trust NZ through the $1M He Kākano matching contribution. Includes youth enterprise initiatives (such as enterprise courses qualifying for He Kākano funding) that overlap with the trust's core mission.

Broad incumbents

• Youth Business International (YBI): Global network of independent nonprofit organizations supporting young entrepreneurs with training, mentoring, and access to finance. YBI operates at a broader scale across 50+ countries and overlaps directly with the King's Trust model — particularly relevant given YBI's involvement in policy advocacy for youth entrepreneurship.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/kingstrustnz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thekingstrustaotearoanewzealand

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The King’s Trust Aotearoa New Zealand