The Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, led by easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, has announced the return of its Young Entrepreneur Awards for 2025, offering £300,000 in cash prizes to support promising UK-based start-ups and empower the next generation of UK business innovators.
Open to entrepreneurs under 34 years old with start-ups generating at least £200,000 in annual revenue, the competition will award £150,000 to the top winner, £100,000 for second place, and £50,000 for third. Eligible businesses must have been registered with UK Companies House since 2019, and applicants must hold over 50% ownership in their company.
In a recent Daily Mail article, Sir Stelios, who built a business empire spanning aviation, shipping, hospitality, and other industries, emphasized his desire to give back to society through this program.
Sir Stelios uses the royalties from the revenues of the easy family of brands to fund his philanthropic work through the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation. The foundation supports a variety of good causes across the 6 countries where Sir Stelios and his family have lived and worked: the UK and Ireland, Monaco and France and Greece and Cyprus.
Last year’s inaugural awards saw former chef Amelia Christie-Miller win the top prize for her sustainable food company, Bold Bean Co. Other winners included Tom Ushakov of the London Pregnancy Clinic and Charlotte Stavrou who runs the marketing firm Sevensix Agency.
Applications are open until March 28, 2025, with winners announced during a virtual ceremony on April 29, 2025. Entrepreneurs can apply by submitting the application form available on the Stelios Foundation’s website.
Cover Photo Credit: Stelios Philanthropic Foundation
