Youth in Business

Youth entrepreneurs face a complex set of challenges. Many are starting businesses for the first time. They often lack credit history, digital skills and access to networks that can help them grow. Yet they represent one of the most dynamic sources of economic potential across emerging markets.
The Youth in Business programme was created to help financial institutions respond to this opportunity with solutions that are both commercially sound and relevant to the realities of young entrepreneurs. The programme brings together evidence-based insights, tailored product design and hands-on non-financial services to support youth as they take their first steps into business ownership.
Over the years, Youth in Business has grown from a regional pilot into a multi-country platform that helps banks and microfinance institutions build sustainable youth banking models. In partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and IPC, the programme now operates across the Western Balkans and has expanded into Türkiye and Morocco, where it continues to support new partner institutions.
This expansion has opened the door for cross-market learning. Participating financial institutions explore how to combine financing with capacity building and digital support, creating youth segments that are flexible enough to serve first-time borrowers and structured enough to ensure commercial viability.

Innovation in non-financial services is a core part of the programme. In 2025, Youth in Business introduced AI Bootcamps in Agadir and Marrakech, offering young entrepreneurs practical experience with tools that can streamline operations, improve marketing and strengthen customer engagement. These sessions showed how technology can help level the playing field for youth led businesses, providing skills that directly influence business performance.
Alongside training, the programme continued to mobilize significant financing for youth entrepreneurship. By the end of 2025, partner institutions had disbursed more than nineteen million euros to over one thousand seven hundred young clients. Several partners secured new or follow-on credit lines, and the first Moroccan financial institution joined the network, signalling growing confidence in the youth segment across diverse markets.
A notable outcome emerging from the programme is the multiplier effect. As youth led enterprises become stronger and more resilient, many create opportunities for other young people, either through new jobs or collaborative ventures. The benefits extend beyond individual entrepreneurs and into the broader ecosystem.

What sets Youth in Business apart is its integrated approach. The programme encourages financial institutions to view youth not only as borrowers but as future market builders. It supports institutions in designing youth focused business models that blend financial and non-financial services, strengthen internal capacity and anchor long-term engagement with the segment.
As the programme continues to grow, it is helping shape a future where youth entrepreneurship contributes meaningfully to inclusive, resilient and innovation driven economies. With the right mix of financing, digital learning and institutional commitment, young entrepreneurs can become a powerful force for economic transformation.

Youth in Business implementation countries supported by ConsumerCentriX