Prince Charles-founded group awarded right to run Global Entrepreneurship Week
Posted by Dan Martin in Business trends on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 14:48
An organisation set up by HRH Prince of Wales has been awarded the right to run the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) campaign in the UK.
Youth Business International (YBI) will be the lead organisation of the UK arm of the initiative which runs in more than 100 countries every November. This year it will take place from 14-20 November and will include the grand final of BusinessZone.co.uk's The Pitch 2011 on 18 November.
YBI won the contract after a tender process organised by Enterprise UK, the charity which previously ran the scheme but was closed down after the government withdrew funding.
"As one of the world’s largest networks dedicated to helping young entrepreneurs create their own business, we are delighted to be the new national host for Global Entrepreneurship Week in the UK," said Andrew Devenport, YBI chief executive.
"Our network already runs Global Entrepreneurship Week in 10 countries and we are very excited about the potential for inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs in the UK – where this amazing global movement began."
He added: "With the majority of new jobs being created by companies less than five years old, we believe that it is essential to find new ways of encouraging entrepreneurship. That's why the theme in 2011 will be 'Starting tomorrow's business today', and we look forward to working with the government, businesses and other non-profit organisations to make this happen in the UK."
Annika Bosanquet, chair of Enterprise UK, commented: "With excellent governance and experience in campaign management, the assurances given by YBI both in the application, presentation and preparation for taking over this asset impressed the Trustees of Enterprise UK.
"In addition, it has a good working relationship with the Kauffman Foundation and already has 10 global members hosting GEW, including Canada, who has been one of the winners of Country of the Year."
The Peter Jones Foundation, run by the Dragons' Den entrepreneur, previously won GEW's assets, which includes the Tenner campaign, but earlier this year Enterprise UK announced that it was re-auctiioning the assets amid claims of financial management at Peter Jones' Enterprise Academy made by its former chief executive Tom Bewick.
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