Standard Chartered Foundation

About Standard Chartered Foundation

The Standard Chartered Foundation is a charitable foundation that tackles inequality by promoting greater economic inclusion for disadvantaged young people from low-income households, particularly women and girls and people with visual impairments.

Our partnership with Standard Chartered Foundation

Our partnership with Standard Chartered spans several initatives. 

Tackling economic inequality

Funded by the Standard Chartered Foundation as part of Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, YBI has so far provided crucial support to over 15,595 entrepreneurs in seven countries across Asia, Africa and Europe. The programme has been delivered by our local members and delivery partners in Botswana, Germany, Japan, Nigeria, Turkey, and Uganda and focuses on particularly disadvantaged business owners, including rural, micro, and female entrepreneurs, business owners with disabilities and visual impairments and those excluded from formal financial support. Support services range from mentoring, one-to-one consulting and peer coaching, advisory helplines and online resource platforms, to pitch competitions and awards as well as webinars, workshops, business clinics and thematic seminars.

In 2022 the programme was renewed for a further two years, with a further eighth delivery partner in Vietnam, aiming 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.

Read the results from 2020-21 here and watch a summary below.

Supporting displaced Ukranians in Poland

YBI and is working with member Youth Business Poland on BEST (Business Employability Skills Training), a new career readiness and entrepreneurship project part of Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, the Bank’s global initiative to tackle inequality by promoting economic inclusion for disadvantaged people across our markets. BEST by Futuremakers will initially look to support 10,000 young working-age displaced Ukrainians in Poland, and is made possible due to Standard Chartered Bank's donation of $180,000.

A new revolving fund for female entrepreneurs in Kenya

Standard Chartered Foundation is supporting Youth Business International and its member Somo with a US$490,000 grant to pilot a unique financial product and set of business services for underserved female entrepreneurs in Kenya. This unique programme will support low-income entrepreneurs aged 18-35 from marginalised communities in Kenya, providing access to financial support needed to sustain and grow their businesses. It will target 90% female entrepreneurs and 10% entrepreneurs with a majority female workforce. Special emphasis will be placed on providing services that acknowledge and are designed specifically to address the time constraints of women while they balance supporting their family and providing for their family.