The Worshipful Company of Entrepreneurs Trust · Registered Charity 1166513
Talent and ambition,
turned into achievement
Since 2018 the Trust has funded business education, enterprise skills and the opportunities entrepreneurship creates, for young people, underserved communities and ventures tackling social and environmental challenges.
Mark Huxley FRSA
Chairman of the Trustee Board
Welcome to the Trust
Established in 2016, and giving grants since 2018, the Trust supports business education, enterprise skills, and the opportunities entrepreneurship can create. Endowed by our generous Patrons, and funded by you our donors, we use our grant-making to support education, skills, and experience in business and enterprise. Through our partnerships, we also support mentoring, events, and opportunities that help aspiring entrepreneurs realise their potential.
Our programmes support young people, underserved communities, and innovative ventures tackling social and environmental challenges. We believe entrepreneurship is a powerful engine of opportunity, creating routes to sustainable livelihoods, social mobility, and wider prosperity.
Our governance and decision-making remain independent, and our ambition is clear: to help more people turn talent and ambition into achievement, today and for generations to come.
I invite you to explore our work and discover how you can help us make a lasting difference.
Mark Huxley FRSA
Chairman of the Trustees
How the Trust is run
The Trust is an independent registered charity, governed by a corporate trustee whose directors serve fixed terms.
31 March 2016
The founding deed under which the Trust was established.
The Worshipful Company of Entrepreneurs Trustee Ltd
Company number 10008351
The Worshipful Company of Entrepreneurs Trust
Registered charity 1166513
The Trust's annual reports and accounts, along with more detailed information, are published on the Charity Commission website.
Directors of the Trustee
Mark Huxley FRSA
Chairman · Term to October 2027
Mark has nearly five decades of experience in insurance and financial services, including founding and co-founding businesses in claims management and insurtech. A Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Entrepreneurs, he mentors entrepreneurs and serves as Chair of the Financial Services Group of Livery Companies.
Lord Bilimoria CBE DL
Director · Term to October 2028
Lord Karan Bilimoria was the founder of Cobra Beer and is a prominent advocate for entrepreneurship, education, and UK-India relations. A crossbench member of the House of Lords, he is a former President of the Confederation of British Industry and Chancellor of the University of Birmingham. He was one of the 16 Founding Freemen of the Guild of Entrepreneurs.
Rakhitha Dias
Director · Term to October 2028
Rakhitha is an IT entrepreneur and founder of Terias Consulting, a software and technology consultancy helping small and medium-sized businesses improve their operations through practical digital solutions. Originally from Sri Lanka, he brings experience spanning technology, business, and entrepreneurship, alongside a commitment to community volunteering.
Kate Jolly
Director · Term to April 2029
Kate is an entrepreneur, board adviser, and corporate governance specialist with extensive experience in charity administration, regulation, and company secretarial work. She co-founded the Briars Group, and is the founder of Boardroom Leadership Lab (Rutherford Glen Global). Kate is a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Entrepreneurs.
One cycle a year. Up to £5,000.
The Trust runs a single annual grants cycle. Grants of up to £5,000 each can be made to individuals, organisations, social enterprises and charities.
- 30 September
Deadline. Applications must be received by this date each year.
- 1 October
The grants cycle begins and applications are assessed against the Grant-Making Policy.
- By the end of May
Grants are paid to successful applicants.
Before applying, read the Grant-Making Policy. It sets out the application process and how decisions are made.
Individuals, organisations, social enterprises and charities.
Education, skills and experience in business and enterprise.
Up to £5,000 per grant.
Questions about applying
Contact the Clerk's Office
The Clerk's Office handles all grant enquiries on behalf of the Trust.
Email the Clerk's OfficePartnerships & Programmes
Where the money goes to work
The Worshipful Company of Entrepreneurs
The Trust's principal partnership is with the Worshipful Company of Entrepreneurs. Members of the Company are asked to give generously to the Trust, and the Trust provides the Company with opportunities for volunteering alongside its financial support for projects that promote entrepreneurship.
The Trust also relies on the Company for its administrative support, including hosting its webpages.
Raleigh Lecture
Hosted in partnership with the Worshipful Company of Entrepreneurs and the Drapers' Company. Established by Peter Hewitt in 2018, the Raleigh Lecture brings together 150 sixth form students each year from across the education spectrum to discover and debate entrepreneurship in the context of the wider humanities.
Read about the 2026 Raleigh Lecture →EASI
Established by Judy Hadden in 2022, the Entrepreneurs' Award in Social Innovation supports and encourages ethical, impactful, innovative early-stage businesses.
- Finalists pitch live for a grant of £10,000
- The whole finalist cohort receives a year's mentoring and masterclasses
- The Worshipful Company of Needlemakers awards an annual prize for Advanced Needle Technology (ANT)
Drapers' Multi Academy Trust
The Drapers' Company supports a Multi Academy Trust in Harold Hill, Romford. Alongside its financial support, the Trust facilitates governorships, supports apprenticeships, and offers students access to events and opportunities.
Visit Drapers' Multi Academy Trust →Samuel Wilson's Loan Trust
When Samuel Wilson died in 1769, he left the City of London Corporation £20,000 in trust to support young people with favourable business loans. The Trust now funds grants and provides education opportunities for SWLT Loan Holders.
Visit Samuel Wilson's Loan Trust →Every grant since 2018
The full record of grants made by the Trust, most recent first.
| Beneficiary | Year | Grant |
|---|---|---|
| Crisis Venture Studio | 2026 | £2,500 |
| Five Talents UK | 2026 | £3,000 |
| First Star Scholars UK | 2026 | £4,500 |
| Hatch Enterprise | 2026 | £4,500 |
| Launch It | 2026 | £4,500 |
| Purple Shoots | 2026 | £4,500 |
| Dame Alice Owen's School | 2025 | £750 |
| Prendergast School | 2025 | £1,500 |
| Sir George Monoux Sixth Form College | 2025 | £1,500 |
| Multiple beneficiaries in partnership with Enterprise Skills Ltd | 2025 | £3,000 |
| Hatch Enterprise | 2025 | £3,000 |
| No Going Back | 2025 | £3,000 |
| Ultra Education CIC | 2025 | £3,000 |
| No Going Back | 2024 | £2,400 |
| Hatch Enterprise | 2024 | £2,500 |
| Five Talents UK | 2023 | £2,500 |
| Hatch Enterprise | 2023 | £2,500 |
| St Thomas the Apostle College | 2022 | £760 |
| David's Sling | 2022 | £2,000 |
| University of East London | 2021 | £1,500 |
| Billy Dennis | 2021 | £2,000 |
| University of East London | 2020 | £1,500 |
| Guildhall School of Music and Drama | 2020 | £1,500 |
| The Trampery | 2019 | £600 |
| Guildhall School of Music and Drama | 2019 | £1,500 |
| Carole Jahme | 2018 | £2,000 |
