BY Sam Walker | Thursday 12 November 2026
Global Entrepreneurship Week is an annual movement that celebrates and empowers new founders – especially those who face structural barriers or who may have never considered the opportunities and possibilities of entrepreneurship.
For nearly two decades, Global Entrepreneurship Week has helped to unlock entrepreneurship as a pathway to problem-solving, economic participation, and prosperity in communities beyond traditional start-up hubs.
Every year, more than 10 million people participate in over 40,000 events in 200 countries events that expand access to the skills, networks, capital, and collaboration founders needed to build successful businesses.
In Hull and East Yorkshire, the week is led by the Hull and East Yorkshire Youth Enterprise Partnership, which will be marking 23 years of involvement of celebrating youth entrepreneurship and enterprise skills with a series of events between 16-20 November under the umbrella theme of 'Entrepreneurs Thrive Here'.
The week will feature daily activities, ranging from conferences and challenges for young people in education.
The Badgers Sett Enterprise Challenge, the brainchild of former BBC Apprentice Star, Ruth Badger, in which young people from primary schools pitch their enterprising idea to businesspeople, will return, as well as celebrating aspiring young entrepreneurs at THUD Yorkshire.
The Annual Hull and East Yorkshire Youth Enterprise Awards will be held, as well as a link-up with ecosystems from Commonwealth countries such as South Africa, Australia and Kenya.
There will also be a primary school and a secondary school enterprise skills conference for schools in Hull and the East Riding to be held in the Guildhall, plus The Adam Corbally (pictured above) Video Enterprise Challenge for aspiring young entrepreneurs from Hull, the East Riding, Scarborough and South Tyneside.
The end of the week will see Lord Sonny Leong CBE, Small Business Minister, visit the city to meet young entrepreneurs from Hull and East Riding who have received support from the Making Changes for Careers Programme and the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank.
Ross Bennett, chair of Hull and East Yorkshire Youth Enterprise Partnership, said: “Hull and East Yorkshire have always demonstrated a commitment to engaging with enterprising young people and sharing good practice with colleagues across the UK and the rest of the world.
“I am delighted that our youth enterprise eco-system continues to advocate the benefits of entrepreneurship and enterprise skills to local communities now via Elevate @ The Mark Jones MBE Centre, as well as across the world via the Commonwealth Partnership.
“We are also delighted that Lord Sonny Leong CBE will be visiting the city to meet young entrepreneurs and representatives of the Microbusiness Alliance.”
Global Entrepreneurship Week in Hull and the East Riding is supported and sponsored by Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank, Engaging Education, T Arran Photography, C4DI, The Hull Story, Jordan Smith Mortgage & Protection Advisor, Design Over Technology, Enterprise Days, Yorkshire in Business and Crossing Paths CIC in South Tyneside.
It will also benefit two charities Action for Ashley and Joy for Joel, two young people with Duchenne.
Further information is available via www.gewhull.co.uk and by following the hashtags for the week #GEWHull #GEWUK #GEW2026 #EntrepreneursThriveHere
