Citi Foundation 2025 Global Innovation Challenge: British Asian Trust selected as recipient to accelerate youth economic opportunities

KARACHI: British Asian Trust joins a cohort of 50 community organizations around the world, receiving USD500,000 to accelerate youth employability through the Citi Foundation’s 2025 Global Innovation Challenge.

Through this initiative, the British Asian Trust will support greater financial inclusion for low-income young entrepreneurs across Pakistan, helping unlock business growth and job creation in underserved urban communities. Tailored support will help 300 young entrepreneurs build the skills and confidence needed to become finance-ready, with at least 90 percent expected to access external financial products and services.

With improved access to capital, 243 entrepreneurs are anticipated to grow their revenues by 25 percent. Alongside this, the project will bring together lenders and key actors from the enterprise ecosystem to collaboratively address the systemic barriers that young entrepreneurs face in accessing finance.

The Citi Foundation’s 2025 Global Innovation Challenge provided USD25 million in catalytic funding to support community organizations around the world to develop and launch innovative employment solutions for low-income youth. “Pakistan’s greatest asset is its young population, but this asset can only generate growth if young people have access to real opportunity. Talent is not our constraint. Access is.

Through the Citi Foundation’s 2025 Global Innovation Challenge, this USD500,000 grant to the British Asian Trust will help expand pathways to skills, entrepreneurship, and access to financial products and services. Our collaboration is rooted in shared ambition, and together we are investing in long-term economic mobility and the future of Pakistan.” said Habib Yousuf, Citi Country Officer & Banking Head, Citi Pakistan.

“This recognition from the Citi Foundation reflects a shared belief in the talent, ambition, and potential of young entrepreneurs across Pakistan,” said Kamyla Marvi Tapal, Executive Director Pakistan, British Asian Trust. “By widening access to finance and working closely with lenders and ecosystem partners, we aim to support low-income youth to grow their ideas into sustainable livelihoods. This initiative goes beyond providing loans, it is about expanding inclusive opportunities and enabling young people to contribute to economic growth within their own communities.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026