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The Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award will go to a young person who has developed their entrepreneurial skills while building their own business in high school.

A young entrepreneur is someone with the ability to identify new business opportunities and act on these opportunities to bring a business venture to life while still in school. They are often driven by a desire to solve a problem or meet an unmet need in the market. They might develop a new product or service, or find a way to improve an existing one.

Young entrepreneurs are inspired by all the exciting opportunities available to them, driven by a desire to bring their ideas to life, and a willingness to take risks to build, launch, and grow their business. They must be able to adapt to changing circumstances in their business, overcome obstacles, and access opportunities to develop their business further. A great young entrepreneur must also be able to pitch their ideas, sell their product or service to customers, and build a team of employees, mentors, or supporters to assist them along their journey.

If you are a driven young person who is working to bring their business to life while still in school, this is the category for you! 

Award Description
Main Info
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Nominations Open Monday the 28th of April 

Nomination Questions:

To nominate for the Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award category, you will be asked to provide answers to the following questions in 800 characters or less per question:

  • What motivated you to start your business, and what does your business do?

  • What challenges have you faced while building your business, and how have you overcome them?

  • What sets your business apart from others? What has your business achieved so far?

  • What are your short-term and long-term goals for your business, and how do you plan to achieve them?

  • How have you balanced your entrepreneurial pursuits with your academic and personal commitments?

  • Is there anything else you wish to share?

Young Entrepreneur Of The Year - The Next Gen Awards Australia 2025
Young Entrepreneur Of The Year - The Next Gen Awards Australia 2025
Young Entrepreneur Of The Year - The Next Gen Awards Australia 2025

Eligibility Criteria: 

To be able to nominate for the Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award category, you must meet the following eligibility criteria: 

  • Must live in Australia

  • Must be a enrolled in a primary or high school

  • Must have approval from a parent or guardian to nominate

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Get Recognised & Rewarded For The Projects You're Leading

Judging Criteria:

All nominations for the Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award category will be judged by a panel of entrepreneurial innovators using the following criteria. Each criterion is weighted equally:

Skills Building

How has this young person worked to develop their entrepreneurial skills? Has this young person worked to refine their skills and access opportunities for skill development?

Application & Implementation

How has this young person worked to bring their business ideas to life? Do they have a business that is generating revenue and demonstrating growth?​

Passion & Drive

Has this young person demonstrated a passion for their work and their business? How has this young person shown resilience along their journey?

Future Focus

Has this young person demonstrated a desire to continue on their entrepreneurial pathway? Where do they hope to go next and do they have a clear path to get there?

Young Entrepreneur Of The Year - The Next Gen Awards Australia 2025
Young Entrepreneur Of The Year - The Next Gen Awards Australia 2025
Young Entrepreneur Of The Year - The Next Gen Awards Australia 2025
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Become Australia's Next Young Entrepreneur Of The Year

Meet Our Previous Finalists:

Over the past few years, we have been delighted to recognise a diverse range of young entrepreneurs from across Australia. To meet past finalists for the Young Entrepreneur Of The Year, make sure to click on their graphics below: 

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Nominations:

If this award category sounds like you, we would absolutely love to see your nomination! Nominations for this award are open to all primary and high school students in Australia in 2025. You are able to nominate yourself or someone you know for this award.

If you're not sure whether or not this is the category for you, nominate anyway as you never know, you could be Australia's next Young Entrepreneur Of The Year!

Nominations for the 2025 Next Gen Awards will be opening on the 28th of April. Stay tuned for updates!

Other Categories:

The Young Entrepreneur Of The Year is just one of the four awards up for grabs as part of the Next Gen Awards in 2025. To see what other categories are open for nomination, click the button below.

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To keep up to date with important information, award updates, and key dates, make sure to follow the links below and join the Next Gen network!

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