UK Youth Parliament

What UK Youth Parliament does

UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is a UK-wide youth democratic participation programme established in 1999, currently operated by the National Youth Agency (NYA) under a grant from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The organisation comprises more than 300 elected Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs) aged 11-18, chosen every two years in elections held across over 70% of UK constituencies, typically in schools. Its core offerings include the annual House of Commons Sitting where MYPs debate and vote on priority campaigns, the Make Your Mark national ballot that aggregates UK-wide youth views, the Youth Select Committee that conducts parliamentary-style inquiries, and the UKYP Manifesto 2024-2026 consolidating 110 policies drawn from 295 submissions.

UKYP's business model is non-commercial: it is entirely grant-funded by DCMS and delivered free of charge to young people, with no pricing model or revenue mechanics. Distribution is executed through a four-nation delivery network — Regional Youth Work Units in England, Scottish Youth Parliament, Children in Wales, and Northern Ireland consultants — coordinated by NYA from its Leicester base. NYA took over programme stewardship in May 2024 following the closure of the British Youth Council in March 2024. Target segments are young people aged 11-18 (primary), schools and educational institutions, local authority youth services, and marginalised communities.

UKYP's underlying technology is minimal: there is no proprietary platform, app, or API surface; engagement is delivered through the NYA website, e-petitions on parliament.uk, email newsletters, and in-person regional roundtables, conferences, and parliamentary sittings. The programme's most consequential recent milestone is the 12 February 2026 government announcement of the Representation of the People Bill enabling 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in UK-wide general elections — the culmination of UKYP's 20+ year Votes at 16 advocacy campaign.

Name

UK Youth Parliament

Legal name

National Youth Agency

Website

https://ukyouthparliament.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UK Youth Parliament is a UK-wide, DCMS-funded youth democracy programme operated by the National Youth Agency, comprising 300+ elected Members of Youth Parliament aged 11-18 who campaign on policy priorities selected through annual parliamentary sittings and the Make Your Mark national ballot.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Civic Participation and Democratic Engagement

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

Keywords

• Youth democratic participation
• Youth civic engagement
• Youth parliament programs
• Policy advocacy campaigns
• Youth representation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grant Funding: UK Youth Parliament is funded through a grant from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The National Youth Agency was selected to run UK Youth Parliament through 2024-5 in May 2024 following the closure of the British Youth Council in March 2024.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

UK Youth Parliament is a youth democratic participation program established in 1999 and operated by the National Youth Agency. It consists of more than 300 elected Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs) aged 11-18 who represent peer views and campaign on issues selected through annual parliamentary sittings. Core activities include the annual House of Commons Sitting, the Make Your Mark national ballot, the Youth Select Committee, and the 2024-2026 Manifesto containing 110 policies, all funded by a DCMS grant and delivered free to participants.

Product overview

UK Youth Parliament is a youth democratic participation program providing opportunities for young people aged 11-18 to influence the parliamentary process. The core offering includes the annual UKYP sitting where over 300 elected MYPs debate and vote on priority campaigns, the Make Your Mark national ballot, and the Youth Select Committee conducting parliamentary-style inquiries. The UKYP Manifesto 2024-2026 consolidates 110 policies across key youth concerns. Operational guidance documents support MYPs in their roles. The program runs targeted advocacy campaigns including Votes at 16 (active 20+ years), Period Dignity, and political education access. The program is funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and administered by the National Youth Agency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) A national youth democratic participation program established in 1999, comprising over 300 elected Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs) aged 11-18 who represent young people's views, debate issues in the annual House of Commons Sitting, and campaign on selected priority issues. Free to participate and funded by a DCMS grant.
• Make Your Mark The annual national ballot of UK-wide youth views, conducted to identify priority campaign topics and policy areas for the UK Youth Parliament. Open to young people across the UK.
• Youth Select Committee A parliamentary-style inquiry committee of 12 UKYP members that conducts inquiries on issues affecting young people, such as social media and violence, producing reports and recommendations.
• UKYP Manifesto 2024-2026 Policy manifesto titled 'Shaping Our Future, Today Not Tomorrow' containing 110 agreed policies developed from 295 initial policy submissions, serving as the advocacy reference for UK Youth Parliament's 2024-2026 term.
• UKYP Guidance Documents Operational guidance materials including 'Your Guide to Being an MYP', 'Roles, Responsibilities and Delivery Structure Guide', and 'Steering Group Role Guide' that govern UK Youth Parliament procedures for MYPs and delivery partners.
• Votes at 16 Campaign Long-standing UK Youth Parliament advocacy campaign for lowering the voting age to 16, active for over 20 years and credited with contributing to the Representation of the People Bill announced on 12 February 2026.
• UKYP Period Dignity Campaign Campaign advocating for free, accessible, good quality period products in public spaces to establish period dignity for all. Selected as a priority campaign area through the annual UK Youth Parliament sitting.
• E-petition on Political and Citizenship Education E-petition hosted on parliament.uk urging the Government to invest in high-quality, non-partisan political and citizenship lesson resources for schools across the UK. Open for signature by the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Legislation announced enabling 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in UK-wide general elections
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• National Youth Agency (NYA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024The NYA was selected to run UK Youth Parliament through 2024-5 in May 2024, following the closure of the British Youth Council in March 2024. NYA provides the national coordinating structure, operational support, and administrative infrastructure for UK Youth Parliament activities.
• Regional Youth Work Units in EnglandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional Youth Work Units in England work with NYA to provide the necessary structures and support for MYPs to carry out their elected duties. They facilitate regional roundtable events and local implementation of UK Youth Parliament activities.
• Scottish Youth ParliamentcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorScottish Youth Parliament is a delivery partner providing necessary structures and support for MYPs in Scotland, ensuring UK Youth Parliament activities are delivered across all UK nations.
• Children in WalescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChildren in Wales serves as a delivery partner supporting UK Youth Parliament activities in Wales, working with NYA to provide structures and support for youth participation.
• Northern Ireland ConsultantssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConsultants in Northern Ireland provide necessary structures and support for UK Youth Parliament activities in Northern Ireland, ensuring representation across all UK nations.
• Youth Steering GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Youth Steering Group oversees and advises on the UK Youth Parliament. Elected young people volunteer to help shape and guide the work of UKYP, providing youth-led governance and direction.
• UK ParliamentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK Parliament hosts the annual UK Youth Parliament House of Commons Sitting where MYPs debate and vote on priority campaigns. The relationship provides young people with direct access to the parliamentary process.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Girlguiding UK: Large established UK charity for girls and young women aged 4-18, with a strong policy advocacy arm (Girls' Attitudes Survey). Broad incumbent in the youth development space with overlapping civic participation and policy advocacy activities.
• YMCA England & Wales: Large established charity delivering youth work, housing, and health programs across England and Wales. Broad incumbent in the youth development space; overlaps with UKYP in positive youth development but operates a much wider portfolio outside the political participation niche.

Direct peers

• Scottish Youth Parliament: Scotland's national youth parliament, elected MSYPs aged 12-25 represent young people's views to the Scottish Parliament. Direct peer — operates on a near-identical democratic participation model for a sub-national UK territory and is a formal delivery partner of UK Youth Parliament.
• European Youth Parliament: Pan-European youth democracy program running regional and international sessions where young people debate EU policy in parliamentary format. Direct peer in youth parliamentary deliberation and civic education methodology, scaled to a multinational footprint.
• Welsh Youth Parliament (Senedd Cymru): Wales's national youth parliament, with 60 members aged 11-18 elected to represent young people to the Welsh Senedd. Direct peer operating the same youth-democracy model at sub-national level and delivered in partnership with Children in Wales for UK Youth Parliament activities.
• Northern Ireland Youth Assembly: Northern Ireland's youth parliamentary body, engaging young people aged 11-25 in policy discussions with the Northern Ireland Assembly. Direct peer operating the equivalent democratic participation model in the fourth UK nation.

Regional players

• Children in Wales: Wales-wide umbrella body for children's and young people's services. Regional player in the same youth policy and participation space, and operates as an actual delivery partner for UK Youth Parliament activities in Wales.

Emerging players

• National Citizen Service Trust: UK government-funded program for 16-17 year olds focused on personal and social development, civic engagement, and community action. Emerging player in UK youth civic participation that intersects with UKYP's demographic and policy engagement mission.
• UK Youth: UK-wide charity supporting a network of youth organizations to deliver youth work. Emerging player in the broader youth development sector that overlaps with UKYP's mission on positive youth development, though focused on organizational capacity rather than direct parliamentary representation.

Others

• Local Government Association (Youth Services): UK local government membership body representing councils that deliver statutory youth services. Adjacent enabling organization — local authority youth services teams directly organize MYP elections and are key delivery partners for UKYP.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uk-youth-parliament

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UK Youth Parliament