2021-24: Tackling economic inequality with Standard Chartered Foundation

YBI’s emergency support programme to support young entrepreneurs in eight countries across Africa, Asia and Europe through the COVID-19 crisis.

Supporting the survival and recovery of youth-led MSMEs in the wake of COVID-19

Following a successful first year of the programme, YBI is now spearheading a two year renewal of the Futuremakers programme funded by the Standard Chartered Foundation as part of Futuremakers by Standard Chartered.

The programme is delivered by YBI members and is funded by the Standard Chartered Foundation, the lead delivery partner for Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, a global initiative to tackle economic inequality and promote greater economic inclusion for disadvantaged young people in our communities.

Programme Overview

The Futuremakers initiative was first launched with YBI in 2020 in response to COVID-19 to support economic inclusion of MSME-owners across Africa, Asia and Europe. By the end of the first programme, 15,595 entrepreneurs (88% female, 12% male) had accessed in-depth support, such as webinars, mentoring and business clinics, coaching and advisory support.

For the new programme, YBI and Standard Chartered Foundation are working together and hope to provide in-depth support to 14,155 young entrepreneurs and crucial support to 30,000 young people wanting to start or strengthen their business. Priority will be given to traditionally disadvantaged business owners including rural, female entrepreneurs, business owners with disabilities and visual impairments and those excluded from formal financial support.

The aim of the programme is to ensure that a diverse range of young entrepreneurs will contribute towards a richer, more varied and more resilient economy for everyone.

Programme Structure

The programme will provide a wide range of crucial support to young entrepreneurs, including:

Mentoring
One-to-one consulting
Peer coaching
Advisory helplines
Online resource platforms
Pitch competitions and awards
Webinars
Workshops
Business clinics
Thematic seminars

These support services will help young entrepreneurs with business model adaptation, entrepreneurial leadership, crisis management, financial risk management, digital transformation, marketing and more.