Young people show a high level of interest in entrepreneurship – nearly 40% indicate a preference for self-employment – but only 5% of youth in the European Union and 9% in the OECD were working on a start-up over the period 2018-22. Governments have strengthened their commitment to supporting young people following the COVID-19 pandemic, including young entrepreneurs. However, there are still significant knowledge gaps about which types of schemes work and why. This chapter provides an overview of recent findings from robust evaluations of youth entrepreneurship support schemes and identifies lessons for governments on how schemes could be strengthened.

Welfare bridge schemes – also known as start-up grants for job seekers – are a mechanism for supporting job seekers in business creation and self‑employment. They allow for the conversion of future unemployment insurance entitlements into a start-up grant and/or allowance. This is an important tool for inclusive entrepreneurship policy because this mechanism holds potential for helping people back into work, thereby reducing the risk of social exclusion and falling into poverty. This chapter presents a summary of evidence on the impact of welfare bridge schemes from across European Union Member States and OECD countries and presents lessons for governments.