A company that teaches some of society’s most disadvantaged people how to launch businesses has won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

Enjoy Training, which trades as Rebel Business School, has received a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Promoting Opportunity category.

The company, founded by Simon Paine and Alan Donegan in 2010, teaches some of society’s most disadvantaged members to start up their own enterprises on shoestring budgets.

Last year, its free to attend courses reached over 3500 people globally, 2400 of which were in the UK. About a third of those attending were unemployed and over 40% were on government benefits.

Despite the humble beginnings of many of the courses’ participants, over 800 people launched their companies during or straight after a Rebel Business School event in 2020, with 646 people even making a first sale during the course.

“Promoting opportunity and showing anyone can do it is what Rebel Business School is all about,” says Simon Paine, co-founder and CEO of the Rebel Business School. “Businesses can usually be started for free, and you don’t need a business plan. Those aren’t popular ideas among some advisors.”

“Our mission is to change the way entrepreneurship is taught and to make it possible for anyone and everyone to start a business. “We’ve helped unemployed people, parents, people with low confidence, those still learning to speak English and many others who didn’t think they could do it, to start up a business.”

“Gaining this award from Her Majesty feels like a vindication of all we’ve done. It’s a massive victory for us, we’re over the moon,”

Rebel events have been sponsored by major local councils such as Westminster, Camden and Barnet and housing associations such as Bolton at Home, Red Kite Community Housing and Optivo. The company is also active in six other countries and Paine says the Queen’s Award emblem will be a major bonus.

Paine said: “The Royal Family carries so much influence worldwide so we can’t wait to share the news with our international partners. This Queen’s Award gives us so much credibility; it will help us to get our message out there and cement our position as the UK leaders in inclusive enterprise.”