Are you a young entrepreneur with a UK start-up who dreams of making it big? Heres how you could win your share of £300,000 from easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou - all you have to do is impress him!

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou was just 27 when he had the idea for the low cost airline that would become easyJet.

More than three decades on, his easy family of brands (easy.com and easyHistory.info) now includes not only Britains biggest airline but more than 100 other brands spanning a vast range of industries, from hospitality (easyHotel.com) to car rental (easyCar.com) to self-storage (easyStorage.com).

Along the way, the entrepreneur and philanthropist has created tens of thousands of jobs - a legacy he wants to continue by backing the next generation of business innovators with an incredible £300,000 worth of cash prizes.

The second annual Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs launched recently, and is open to young business owners (younger than 34 years old) of UK start-ups generating at least £200,000 of revenue per year.

The challenge? To impress Sir Stelios and be in with the chance of winning the top prize of £150,000 to invest into your business. There is a 2nd prize of £100,000 and a 3rd of £50,000.

This is part of my way of giving back to society, Sir Stelios explains. I want to encourage young entrepreneurs to create and grow start-ups in the UK, which to my mind is the best way to generate new jobs in the economy and spread prosperity.

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou is offering £300,000 worth of prizes as part of the Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs

The Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs are being run by the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, which launched in 2011 and is funded by the majority of profits from easyGroup - the company owned by Sir Stelios that created and owns the easy family of brands including easyJet.com.

Just like the Foundation’s long standing competition for disabled entrepreneurs, the aim is to identify the owners of this generations most promising start-ups and give them the support they need to scale up.

Explaining what hell be looking for, Sir Stelios says: It will be the numbers - is it a good profitable business, is it growing and does it employ lots of people?

Due to my own background, I would rather reward consumer-facing businesses (as opposed to B2B) because they are more relatable to me and better known amongst the public at large.

The brand guru cites the example of Amelia Christie-Miller, a former chef who won last years top prize for her food business, the Bold Bean Co.

Im always looking for an entrepreneur who can promote themselves, Sir Stelios says.

Its incredible how Amelia created a brand selling beans in a jar, and now theyre flying off the shelves.

I admire someone who can make a brand out of beans more than one who created a brand out of an airline!

Pictured are last years winners, from left to right: Tom Ushakov, Amelia Christie-Miller and Charlotte Stavrou (née Williams)

Tom Ushakov, of clinical test provider the London Pregnancy Clinic, won the second prize in the inaugural awards while Charlotte Stavrou (née Williams) - who runs marketing firm Sevensix Agency - came third. 

The payments are cash grants rather than a loan or investment in return for shares.

Alongside a handy lump sum to invest in their businesses, the winners will also benefit from a boost to their brands profile as well as something no money can buy - mentoring and support from Sir Stelios himself.  

I am available to them and happy to help - I talk a lot with last years winners and give advice, he says. 

It is very rewarding to go back to start-up owners and see what they have done with the money and how their business is going. 

It’s a two-way learning process, as young people know a lot more about things I dont - especially about social media. 

The awards are open to owners of start-ups aged 18-34 on March 28, 2025 - the closing date for entries - with a simple application process that involves filling out an online form. 

The Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs are being run by the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation (stelios.foundation), which launched in 2011 

Businesses must have been registered at UK Companies House later than 2019, and filed accounts showing revenues of at least £200,000 per year. 

Additionally, entrants must be a director of their company and own more than half of the shares.

Sir Stelios is excited to begin reading through the applications. 

The quality of the entries and winners last year proves once again that in the UK today entrepreneurship is very much alive and kicking! he says. 

I look forward to seeing another batch of inspiring applications again this year from that great pool of entrepreneurial talent.

Asked for his message to potential applicants, he adds: You should apply. It’s not just a medal, this is real money which will help in your business. 

To take part, head to www.stelios.foundation to download the entry form, which must be emailed to tracy.ghori@stelios.com by 5pm on March 28, 2025. 

Sir Stelios will announce the winners at a ceremony via Zoom on April 29, 2025