The Kent Foundation (KF) is a registered charity (291559) and provides free business support and mentoring to Kent’s young entrepreneurs and business owners. We recruit and train leaders from the Kent business community to become volunteer mentors who support the next generation of business owners. KF is an essential part of the business community, supporting innovative young people (18-30 years of age) to grow new enterprises, create employment opportunities, and contribute to the economic well-being of the County. Our mission is to nurture the ideas and innovation of young business owners, supporting them to make the right decisions to establish successful and sustainable businesses. By creating a thriving and supportive network for young business owners and through the expertise of our volunteer business mentors, we are able to increase their likelihood of success. Research shows that mentored start-ups grow 3.5x faster. The success of entrepreneurs, who are constantly pulled in many directions, can be amplified with the support of the right mentor who, above all, helps the founder focus and invest time wisely. In the last 12 months 150 businesses have been directly supported by one of our mentors and a recent survey says that through these businesses over £4million in sales have been created. Not only do the businesses benefit from a free mentor but we also provide masterclasses in business, networking groups and mastermind sessions where young business owners support each other in the challenges they face.