The Prince's Trust

The Prince's Trust is one of several charitable organisations in the UK run by the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles. The charity aims to increase the prospects of young people who may have experienced hardships, or who face long term unemployment due to leaving education with few or no qualifications.

One particular initiative from which young people can benefit is the Prince's Trust's Business Programme. The Business Programme gives loans and advice to young entrepreneurs who are interested in starting up a business, but who lack the guidance and resources to do so. Not all young people will qualify for funding from the programme: you have to meet certain criteria in order to be assured support from the Trust. These criteria include: being aged between eighteen and thirty, being unemployed or working less than sixteen hours a week, and being from either England, Northern Ireland or Wales. A similar scheme is run by the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust (PSYBT) for the benefit of young people living in Scotland.

The organisation offers grants to successful candidates in need of financial support. Should your application be successful you will also receive a low interest loan of up to £4,000, or £5,000 if you are applying as a partnership, as well as general start-up guidance, and access to a legal advice helpline. The easiest way to make an application is online, although applications can also be made over the telephone. For more information visit the official website, princes-trust.org.uk .