What Yes (young Enterprise Switzerland) does

YES (Young Enterprise Switzerland) is a Swiss non-profit association (Verein) headquartered in Schlieren that develops and delivers practice-oriented entrepreneurship, economics, and debate education programs to students across all Swiss cantons. Founded in 1999 (originally as JA Switzerland) and operating under the global JA Worldwide umbrella, YES reaches 9,000+ students annually through six core programs segmented by school level: Pintolino and Unsere Gemeinde (primary), Fit für die Wirtschaft (lower secondary), Jugend debattiert (secondary I & II), the Company Programme (upper secondary, ages 16-20), and the Wirtschafts-Olympiade (economics competition). Programs are delivered directly into classrooms by 21 full-time staff, ~350 annual corporate and alumni volunteers, and 326 participating teachers, coordinated through a network of dedicated regional Program Managers covering Suisse romande, Tessin, Zurich, Bâle, Berne, Argovie, and Suisse centrale.

The technical backbone is the YES Platform (plattform.yes.swiss), an online learning and program-management system used for student registration, e-learning modules, CV checking (via the gateway.one partnership), and resource distribution. Programs are free for participating schools and students; YES monetizes through corporate partnerships and sponsorships (UBS, Coop, Swiss Prime Site, die Mobiliar, Accenture, Deloitte, Manpower, Citi, KPMG, AXA, Georg Fischer, Bank of America, and several foundations), individual and corporate donations, and alumni membership fees (15 CHF first year, 30 CHF annually). Annual flagship events include the National Trade Fair and National Final at Zurich Hauptbahnhof for the Company Programme, and the National Final at die Mobiliar's Bern headquarters for Jugend debattiert, with top winners advancing to JA Europe's Gen-E festival and the International Economics Olympiad.

YES operates as the Swiss national member of JA Worldwide (100+ countries, 17+ million students globally) and JA Alumni Europe, giving it institutional legitimacy, international competition pathways, and reputational tailwinds (JA Worldwide was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and ranked in the Top 10 most influential social-welfare organizations by thedotgood for five consecutive years). The organization has 400 alumni members, a partner base spanning financial services, retail, real estate, consulting, and industrial sectors, and a track record of Swiss delegations winning medals at the International Economics Olympiad (2 silver, 1 bronze in Hong Kong 2024) and awards at Gen-E.

Name

Yes (young Enterprise Switzerland)

Legal name

Young Enterprise Switzerland (YES)

Website

https://yes.swiss

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

YES (Young Enterprise Switzerland) is a Swiss non-profit association, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Schlieren, that delivers free practice-oriented entrepreneurship, economics, and debate education programs to over 9,000 K-12 and upper-secondary students annually across all Swiss cantons, funded through corporate partnerships and donations as part of the JA Worldwide network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Entrepreneurship and Economics Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Innovation & Design Thinking Programs (EDAMAHAD)

Keywords

• Entrepreneurship education programs
• Student business programs
• Economics olympiad training
• Youth debate programs
• Non-formal education

Headquarters

HQ city

Schlieren

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: YES Alumni membership: 15 CHF for the first year, then 30 CHF per year. Organization members pay annual membership fees.
2. Donations: Individual and corporate donations support program delivery. Bank details provided for wire transfers to UBS AG.
3. Partnership/Sponsorship Revenue: Corporate partners sponsor specific programs (Company Programme, Youth Debate, Corporate Volunteering, Economics Olympiad) with financial and volunteer support

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

YES develops and delivers practice-oriented entrepreneurship, economics, and opinion-formation (debate) educational programs for Swiss students from primary school through upper secondary. Programs are delivered free of charge to participating schools and students by trained corporate volunteers across all Swiss cantons, with an annual reach of 9,000+ students and approximately 200-265 mini-enterprises founded each year through the flagship Company Programme.

Product overview

YES (Young Enterprise Switzerland) is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of educational programs focused on entrepreneurship and economics education for students. The core programs include: the Company Programme (mini-enterprises for students aged 16-20), Youth Debate (argumentation and debate skills), the Economics Olympiade (economics competition), Personal Economics (practical economics skills), Pintolino (primary school entrepreneurship), and Our Community (municipal education). Additional offerings include the Leaders in Exchange program for adults, the YES Alumni network, and the Sustainability Innovation Challenge. The organization also provides an online learning platform (plattform.yes.swiss) and organizes key events including the National Trade Fair and National Final competitions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Company Programme An annual program where students aged 16-20 found and manage their own mini-enterprise during a school year, discovering what it means to be an entrepreneur. Offered in Competition and Fundamentals modules, with approximately 200-265 mini-enterprises participating each year and a National Final held at Zurich Hauptbahnhof.
• La jeunesse débat (Jugend debattiert / Youth Debate) A competition program for students in secondary I and II where they learn to research topics thoroughly, form personal opinions, and argue skillfully while considering opposing viewpoints. Includes Regional Finals (12 across Switzerland) and a National Final held at die Mobiliar headquarters in Bern.
• Economics Olympiade (Wirtschafts-Olympiade)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 9,000 students reached annually across all programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Swiss Prime SiteflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMain promoter of Company Programme. Supports National Final held at Zurich Hauptbahnhof. Provides venue and sponsorship for the flagship competition event.
• UBSflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMain promoter and partner for Company Programme. Awards UBS Most Innovative Product Award. Supports networking events and program operations.
• CoopflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMain promoter of Company Programme. Sponsors Coop Sustainability Award for mini-enterprises. Conducts sustainability workshops with program participants.
• Eidgenössisches Institut für Geistiges Eigentum (IGE)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSwiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property. Conducts IP management workshops for Company Programme. Awards IGE IP Management Award to top mini-enterprises.
• Accenture DACHcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate volunteering partner. Sponsors Accenture x YES Alumni Moonshot Award for entrepreneurial continuation. Provides volunteer mentors for programs.
• CiticoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting Company Programme. Provides business expertise and potential for student mentorship.
• Manpower SchweizcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAwards ManpowerGroup Ready for Work Award at European Gen-E finals. Supports youth employment readiness through the competition.
• DeloittecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate volunteering partner for Fit für die Wirtschaft program. Deloitte volunteers conduct sustainability workshops with students.
• Georg FischercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNew partner supporting Company Programme 2024. Invests in next-generation education through program sponsorship.
• die MobiliarcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMain promoter of Youth Debate (La jeunesse débat). Sponsors National Final held at Mobiliar headquarters in Bern.
• Bank of AmericaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupports Youth Debate program through corporate volunteering and sponsorship.
• KPMGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate volunteering partner providing business expertise and mentorship for student programs.
• AXAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate volunteering partner for corporate volunteer programs.
• Ernst Göhner StiftungcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation supporting Company Programme as main promoter. Provides funding for program operations.
• Jacques und Gloria Gossweiler-StiftungcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation supporting Company Programme. Provides financial support for competition and awards.
• Berner Kantonalbank AGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupports Company Programme with banking expertise and potential mentorship.
• JA EuropeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean umbrella organization. Organizes Gen-E European Entrepreneurship Festival. Connects YES to 40+ European countries and national JA organizations.
• JA WorldwideflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal umbrella organization operating in 100+ countries. YES is the Swiss member. JA WW connects to 300,000+ volunteers, 280,000+ teachers, and reaches 17+ million students globally.
• JA Alumni EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean alumni network. YES Alumni connects to 20+ European countries through this network.
• gateway.onecoreTechnology or IntegrationPartner network for vocational training and youth recruitment. Provides online platform for YES CV checking service 'Check Your CV'.
• Beisheim StiftungcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation supporting Pintolino program specifically.
• Science OlympiadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizes Swiss Science Olympiads. Economics Olympiad is part of the Science Olympiad family.
• Swiss Youth HostelsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner for Pintolino week program. Provides venue for Pintolino project week in youth hostels across Switzerland.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DECA: Large U.S. association of marketing, finance, hospitality, and management students in secondary and post-secondary education. Comparable in offering career-preparation competitions, though broader in scope than YES's entrepreneurship focus.

Regional players

• Science Olympiad Switzerland (Schweizerische Wissenschafts-Olympiaden): Swiss umbrella for academic Olympiads including the Economics Olympiad that YES co-hosts. Operates in the same Swiss secondary school ecosystem and shares the talent pool, though its focus is academic competition rather than entrepreneurship program delivery.

Others

• Swiss Youth Hostels (Schweizer Jugendherbergen): Implementation partner for YES's Pintolino primary school program week. While not a peer in competition, they illustrate the broader ecosystem of Swiss youth-education providers and venue partners that YES coordinates with.

Direct peers

• Junior Achievement USA: The U.S. member organization of the same JA Worldwide network that YES belongs to. Operates the Company Program, JA Finance Park, and similar entrepreneurship education programs for K-12 students, making it the closest functional and structural peer.
• JA Austria (Junior Achievement Austria): Austrian JA member organization delivering the Junior Company Programme and similar entrepreneurship competitions to secondary school students. Comparable scale and program mix to YES, sharing the German-language DACH ecosystem and corporate partner base.
• Junior Achievement Deutschland: The German national member of JA Worldwide, running the same Junior Company Programme, student company competitions, and school-based entrepreneurship education that YES delivers in Switzerland. Shares program DNA, branding under JA, and European competition pathways via Gen-E.
• Entreprendre Pour Apprendre (JA France): The French member of JA Worldwide operating Mini-Enterprise programmes in French schools. Direct functional peer delivering the equivalent of YES's Company Programme and debate initiatives to students across France.

Emerging players

• Enactus: Global student organization running student-led social entrepreneurship projects and competitions at universities. While focused on higher education rather than secondary, it overlaps with YES's mission of experiential entrepreneurship education and competes for the same pool of corporate sponsors and student attention.
• Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): U.S.-based non-profit delivering entrepreneurship education curricula to underserved secondary school students. Overlaps with YES's Company Programme pedagogy and target demographic, though more focused on at-risk youth.
• Ashoka Youth Venture: Program of Ashoka supporting young people to launch social ventures. Shares YES's experiential entrepreneurship mission and operates in multiple European countries including Switzerland, creating partial overlap on sponsor mindshare.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/young-enterprise-switzerland-yes-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Yes (young Enterprise Switzerland)