Young Enterprise Switzerland is a non-profit organization and establishes an association under Swiss law with its headquarter in Zurich.

YES was founded in May 2006 through the merger of former associations Junior Achievement Switzerland and YES! Young Enterprise Switzerland, both existing since 1999.
 

As of September 2008 Young Enterprise Switzerland pursues a newly developed rollout strategy.   

Rollout Strategy

The Rollout Strategy is one of the key elements of the strategic realignment of Young Enterprise Switzerland.
Regional structures will be created in order to facilitate and ensure an expansion of the YES Programs under continuation of the existing high quality program qualities. In the initial phase the Company Program will be promoted, since it is already well recognized in the German speaking part of Switzerland. As soon as a region is established all the other programs will be promoted and developed by the responsible person (Regional Coordinator).

Together with the Alumni of the Company Program as Regional Coordinators, the regional structures will be set up. The management team of Young Enterprise Switzerland will educate the Alumni, so they can oversee the programs and organize the necessary regional events themselves. This shall be realized step by step by including Alumni in our program management team, so that they learn all the required competencies on the job. After a project year and an additional course led by the management team of YES they are ready to lead a region on their own.
 

Structure

Initially a Regional Coordinator will assume the supervision and management of the region. This Coordinator will support the mini-companies and organize the respective regional events. Once a region expands, project coordinators (also Alumni) will take over the coaching of the mini companies.
 

Current Status

In the current project year regions have been composed in order to collect and analyze the necessary experiences by the current project management team. The regional networks are being developed and expanded in order to ensure financing and the management of the infrastructure. By the summer of 2009 a first region is ready to be established and an Alumni will be recruited and embedded in the program management team as described.
 

Financing

It is our aim to create regional networks, that will be consistently profitable for both parties. The partners should be approached together or in agreement with the existing partners as we already entertain a cooperation at regional level.

Activity

Especially the first steps of the young entrepreneurs are interesting on the regional level. For instance, a bank account is opened, industry partners are acquired and an opening event takes place. Between January and March a regional exhibition takes place, where the regional winners, as well as the Award-Winners are honored and the qualified candidates for the National Trade Fair (BEA - Top 40 National) are announced.