The Prince's Trust: How You Can Benefit

Recent research suggests that an average of one in five young people in the UK are not in work, education or training. The Prince's Trust was founded in 1976 by Prince Charles and is basically a charity that helps young people. The Prince of Wales is now the charity’s president - a position which is that of figurehead and he has no legal responsibility for the charity.

Those who are affect by long-term unemployed, who have been in trouble with the law, who've struggled at school, or who have been in care are all eligible for help from the trust.

The charity runs a number of different activities, but possibly the most well known is the help it offers to young people looking to start their own businesses.

Starting your own business will be one of the most exciting and challenging things you will ever do. The Business Programme lends a helping hand to young people aged between 18 and 30 who are unemployed or working less than 16 hours a week.

The help provided usually consists of a low interest loan of up to £4,000, which needs to be repaid by the budding entrepreneur.

Research has shown that businesses that seek advice and support, particularly during their start up phases and first few months of life, are the most likely to survive and succeed.

If you are accepted onto the Price’s Trust’s Business Programme, you will have access to ongoing support from a business mentor as well as products and services that will help get your business off the ground.

What Else is Available?

Apart from helping young businesses get off the ground, the Prince’s Trust has a number of other awards and grants that can help.

Development Award Grants are worth up to £500 and are available to put towards skills training or to help you get into work. The criteria for this grant is very strict, and it isn’t available to full-time students, graduates or people who have what is classed as a ‘high level technical qualification’.

The Prince's Trust Group Millennium Award is a grant of up to £15,000 which is given to groups of between three and 12 people for projects that will benefit their local community. This can include things like improving the environment, guiding others or introducing the use of technology to improve the lives of others within that community.

For those young people who are passionate about music, the Sound Live Course is designed to build up confidence with practical sessions on performance and the music business as a whole. Each session is led by musicians and other experts in the field, however, to qualify for this course you must have been unemployed for more than six months.

Grant Eligibility Finder

Tell us what you need funding for and we will match you with the types of UK grant most likely to accept your application.

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Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

How to Apply

The rule of thumb when applying for help from the Prince’s Trust is to plan ahead and make sure you do everything properly. The most important thing to do is research what it is you are applying for and make sure you are actually eligible for help.

The decision as to whether you will receive a grant or not is not taken by individuals, a board of people usually sit down and go through the application you have submitted so it is important to bear in mind that any tricks you might think of pulling, they have probably seen before. It is best to be upfront and honest.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Grant Eligibility Finder lets you tell us what you need funding for and we will match you with the types of UK grant most likely to accept your application. Try it now →