Young people across the European Union express a strong interest in entrepreneurship, but only a small fraction actively launch their own businesses.
About four in ten young people in the EU say they would prefer to be an entrepreneur rather than an employee, according to a new summary from the Youth Entrepreneurship Policy Academy (YEPA) released by the European Commission on Thursday.
However, just one in twenty are in the process of setting up a start-up, and only half of these go on to launch a business.
YEPA reports that the gap between ambition and action is linked to several barriers, including a lack of accessible information on starting a business, limited access to funding, weak professional networks, and administrative challenges.
YEPA, a multi-stakeholder platform, met over three years in workshops, webinars, and a final conference in October 2025 to identify ways to support young people in launching and sustaining businesses.
More than 150 policy officers, programme managers, young entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurship networks, and researchers participated in the initiative.
Policy pointers published
A newly published document summarises practical lessons and policy proposals developed during these discussions, aiming to inform new national and regional strategies for youth entrepreneurship.
The Academy was launched in Brussels in March 2023 by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
YEPA’s purpose was to foster an exchange of ideas and direct input from young entrepreneurs regarding their experiences and needs.
Participants discussed solutions such as expanding access to funding, improving business education, strengthening networking opportunities and simplifying administrative requirements at local and national levels, YEPA said.
