Young Enterprise Company Programme 2026: Is It Worth It?

The Young Enterprise Company Programme is a school-based entrepreneurship experience for ages 13-19 where students set up and run a real student company.

Participants make genuine business decisions, from assigning roles and raising start-up capital to budgeting, selling, and reflecting on outcomes.

Unlike short residential courses, schools can run the programme flexibly, from 12 weeks up to a full academic year, often with support from a business volunteer where possible.

Here’s a comprehensive guide to the Young Enterprise Company Programme in 2026.

Course Breakdown 

Note: Check their official website for their current pricing.

Why Choose Young Enterprise?

Young Enterprise positions the Company Programme as a practical route into business learning, delivered through schools and colleges across the UK. It supports students through a real-world venture that builds confidence, collaboration, and decision-making.

The Company Programme focuses on the core stages of running a business, from generating ideas and assigning roles to raising start-up capital, budgeting, and selling a product or service. This structure helps students understand how entrepreneurship, money management, and employability skills connect in practice.

The Company Programme acts as Young Enterprise’s flagship experience because it pulls these strands together through running a student-led company. It suits students who want responsibility, deadlines, and a chance to learn from real trade-offs and outcomes.

While the Company Programme builds broad enterprise skills through long-term teamwork, Immerse Education’s TED Summer School, in partnership with TED, takes a more specialised route. It focuses on building the foundations of a great entrepreneur: confident communication, clear storytelling, and persuasive pitching.

In London, participants develop an idea, craft a narrative, rehearse with 1:1 coaching, and deliver a recorded TED-style talk. They leave with a shareable outcome that supports applications, interviews, and pitch opportunities.

Along with London, Immerse also offers the programme in New York and Singapore, as well as a Virtual TED Summer School for students who want the same coaching-led experience from anywhere in the world.

Key Features of Young Enterprise

Young Enterprise’s Company Programme stands out because it gives students a complete, real-world experience of running a business through their school or college. It moves beyond theory by asking teams to build, launch, and manage a student-led venture.

The format stays flexible, so schools can run it over a shorter window or across the full academic year. This gives participants time to test ideas, learn from mistakes, and improve their approach as the company develops.

To keep delivery structured, the programme uses dedicated support tools. Company Connect provides guided tasks and resources, while YE Trading Station enables online selling alongside in-person trading opportunities.

Many schools also value the wider support around the programme, including business volunteers where available and safeguards such as product and public liability insurance to support student trading.

Advantages

• Real business experience. Students run a genuine student company, making decisions on roles, budgeting, pricing, and sales, which makes learning feel meaningful.
• Flexible duration. Schools can deliver the Company Programme over around 12 weeks or extend it across a full academic year, so it can fit different timetables and enrichment models.
• Strong value at school level. Pricing sits at £560 per student company for state schools or £2,500 for independent schools, which can feel cost-effective when spread across an entire team.
• Clear structure and resources. Company Connect provides guided tasks, milestones, and materials, helping teams stay organised without schools building everything from scratch.
• Authentic trading opportunities. YE Trading Station supports online selling alongside in-person events, giving students real customers, feedback, and accountability.
• Added support and safeguards. Schools may receive help from business volunteers where available, and the programme includes product and public liability insurance, which supports safer real-world trading.

Disadvantages

• School-led delivery varies. The quality of the experience can depend on educator capacity, timetable space, and how much support the team receives.
• Access is not always individual. Students usually join through a participating school or centre, so motivated individuals cannot always enrol independently.
• Long timeline for some learners. The Company Programme can run from around 12 weeks to a full academic year, which may feel too extended for students who want faster momentum.
• Less specialist coaching. The programme prioritises team delivery and enterprise practice, so students may receive limited 1:1 feedback on skills like pitching and public speaking.
• Group dynamics can shape outcomes. Because teams share responsibility, progress can slow if roles are unclear or commitment levels differ.
• Final outputs can be inconsistent. Outcomes depend on what the team builds and sells, so students may not leave with a standardised portfolio piece they can easily showcase.

Young Enterprise vs TED Summer School in London

Alongside our in-person Academic Insights and Career Insights pathways and our Online Research Programme, Immerse Education also offers TED Summer School in both residential and virtual formats. 

This pathway suits students who want a defined, tutor-led experience to shape ideas, build confidence, and communicate clearly, from home or in a global city.

Is Young Enterprise Worth It?

The Young Enterprise Company Programme can be worth it for students who want practical business experience through their school across the academic year. It suits participants who enjoy building something with a team and learning through real decisions.

Students gain responsibility early. They take on director roles, raise start-up capital, manage budgets, and sell a product or service to real customers, which makes progress feel tangible.

However, the school-led model shapes the experience. Support levels vary by timetable, teacher involvement, and access to a business volunteer, and the programme can run from around 12 weeks to a full academic year.

If you want a faster, more specialist outcome centred on confident communication and persuasive pitching, Immerse Education’s TED Summer School in London, in partnership with TED, may suit you better. Participants develop an idea, refine a narrative with 1:1 coaching, and deliver a professionally recorded TED-style talk, with options in New York, Singapore, and a Virtual TED Summer School.

For a more career-focused London option, Immerse Education’s Career Insights programme offers pathways such as Business Management, Economics, and Banking & Finance, designed to connect interest with real industry exposure.

Alternatives to Young Enterprise

• Immerse Education – TED Summer School (London): Two-week, coaching-led communication programme delivered in partnership with TED. Participants develop an idea, craft a narrative, rehearse with 1:1 coaching, and finish with a recorded TED-style talk.
• Immerse Education – London Summer School: Two-week, industry-facing programmes with business-relevant subjects such as Business Management, Economics, and Banking & Finance, designed to connect learning with real career pathways.
• Tycoon Enterprise Competition (Peter Jones Foundation): Team-based enterprise competition for ages 6–18 where students write a business plan, access a risk-free goodwill loan, and run a real business through a structured platform. 
• Barclays LifeSkills (Schools & FE): Free, flexible lesson plans and modules for schools that build employability skills and financial confidence, suitable from primary through further education. 

How to Apply

1. Confirm your route in – The Company Programme runs through schools, colleges, and centres, so students typically join via their institution rather than enrolling individually.
2. Go to the official “Getting Started” page – Young Enterprise provides separate purchase routes for state schools and independent schools.
3. Purchase and register the programme – The school/centre completes the purchase process and sets up delivery for their student company team(s).
4. Set up Company Connect and the student company profile – Students use Company Connect for step-by-step tasks, activities, and resources, and to manage their company profile together.
5. Trade in person and online via YE Trading Station – Teams can sell at events and list approved products on YE Trading Station for online sales. 

Final Thoughts

Young Enterprise’s Company Programme offers a practical route into business learning through schools, where students create and run a real student company.

It works best for participants who want sustained, team-based experience over time, with real responsibility for roles, budgeting, and selling.

If you want faster momentum and a focused outcome, a specialist communication pathway can help you develop presence, persuasion, and pitch confidence in a short timeframe.

Turn “I have an idea” into “I can own the room” at Immerse’s TED Summer School in London, where focused training and feedback help you deliver a recorded TED-style talk with real presence.