Young Person's Start Up Grant

Young Person's Start Up Grant

Supports young entrepreneurs in Wales with seed assistance and mentoring for first business launch.

The Young Person's Start Up Grant is a Welsh Government grant of up to £2,000 for individuals under 25 who are based in Wales and planning to launch their first business. The programme is delivered through Big Ideas Wales, the Welsh Government's entrepreneurship support strand for young people. It is aimed at pre-trading applicants — the grant cannot be awarded once a business has started trading — and is intended to cover early start-up costs such as equipment, materials, professional services, or marketing. The current cycle runs until 31 March 2027 or until funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.

Applicants must be under 25, ordinarily resident in Wales, and meet one of the following employment conditions: unemployed or NEET (not in education, employment, or training); working fewer than 18 hours per week; or in education and planning to become self-employed within three months. A minimum of six hours of pre-start business support must be completed before an application can be submitted. Only one application per person is permitted — reapplication is not allowed. Applicants aged 16–18 must name a guarantor or guardian in the application. The proposed business must show potential to become the applicant's primary source of income.

Applications are assessed on the viability of the business idea, the applicant's readiness to trade, and the credibility of the start-up plan. Successful applicants will have completed their six hours of Big Ideas Wales pre-start support, presented a clear description of the proposed business, identified the specific costs to be funded, and demonstrated that their business has realistic income potential. Given the first-come, first-served nature of funding availability, applicants should submit as early as possible in the cycle rather than waiting until close to the March 2027 deadline.