Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the entrepreneur behind easyJet, is offering ambitious young business owners the chance to receive up to £150,000 in funding as the third annual Stelios for Young Entrepreneurs awards officially open in the UK.
More than 30 years after founding easyJet aged just 27, Sir Stelios has built an “easy” brand that includes more than 200 businesses, from budget airlines and hotels to warehousing, transport and retail. Now, through the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, he is supporting the next generation of founders with £300,000 in grants designed to help boost the UK’s high growth startups.
The overall winner will receive £150,000, with second and third prizes of £100,000 and £50,000 respectively. Unlike most awards and contests, the payouts are cash grants instead of equity investments or loans, allowing founders to retain full control of their businesses.
“This is part of my way of giving back to the community,” said Sir Stelios. “I want to encourage young entrepreneurs aged 34 or under to build and grow businesses in the UK, which in my mind is the best way to create new jobs and spread prosperity.”
The competition is open to founders aged 34 or under who own and manage UK registered businesses generating at least £500,000 in annual revenue. The limit was raised from £200,000 last year after a surge of high-quality applications, of which 180 were submitted in the final round alone.
Sir Stelios said he would be focusing on the fundamentals instead of talking about hype. “It’s going to be numbers – is it a good business that’s profitable, growing and employing more people?” he said. “Because of my background, I would prefer to award consumer-facing businesses because they are connected and better known.”
Last year’s winner, Ayan Mohamed, exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit the awards aim to support. He founded Digitech Oasis, a Manchester-based company that provides autonomous robotics solutions, after teaching himself to code while studying business at university. The prize money has helped accelerate growth and create new jobs in the region.
“These awards are a great help to a young British entrepreneur like me,” said Mohamed. “The funding was important, but the respect and loyalty associated with Sir Stelios was also a big boost.”
Beyond the financial support, the winners also received something difficult to quantify: access to Sir Stelios himself. He is always involved with previous winners, offering advice and counsel as they measure up.
“I am available to them and I am happy to help,” he said. “It’s really interesting to see what founders do with this money – and it’s a two-way learning curve. Small business people know things that I don’t, especially in social media.”
Applications close on 23 February 2026, with the winners to be announced at a gala event in London on 31 March 2026. Sir Stelios has a simple message for potential applicants: “You should apply. This is not just an award, it’s real money to help your business.”
