OSM's Entrepreneur Fund

Scouts & Explorers can apply for match-funding from OSM when they make a "mini business" (e.g. cake sales, car washing, etc) to raise funds for camps, subs and more.

Leaders apply on their behalf through Section Admin - Entrepreneur Fund (only available in Scout/Explorer sections for users with at least Read & Write access to OSM Administration).

We'll ask for things like income, expenses, and a video interview to help the review process. We'll select winners every quarter and will donate money to your group to help cover their costs.

This is all about giving young people the chance to think entrepreneurially, get creative, and learn the value of working towards goals.

We've decided not to make this available to younger sections as although younger children can often raise money, we'd like to focus on real entrepreneurial thinking to encourage young people to think about business, which is less likely to be able to be done by 4-9yr olds (although obviously not impossible!). Equally, the cost of scouting typically increases with age (e.g. international trips are usually for older members), which means finances are more likely to be a barrier to Scouting for older members. The younger ones will be able to apply when they're older!

👉 Encourage your Scouts & Explorers to give it a go — we can’t wait to see their ideas!