Win £25k to give your business a boost

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Small business, big impact

Small businesses are built on big dreams – but every dream could do with a boost to make it happen. And with recent data revealing that 48 per cent of people have their own side hustle, we want to help one ambitious entrepreneur do their best*.

That’s why we’re giving a £25,000 grant to the small business owner with the best business idea. So whether you’re a budding entrepreneur with a winning idea or an existing business owner looking for a boost, we want to hear from you.

So, could you be the fifth winner of Business Boost? Impress our expert panel of industry-leading judges and £25,000 could be yours.

Competition is open to UK residents aged 18 and over. Entrants’ businesses must not have an annual turnover exceeding £750,000 or have received over £50,000 in private funding in the past two years (this does not include government grants). See full terms and conditions.

What our judges are looking for

  • Your story
    Whether you’re a seasoned business owner or your journey’s just starting – we’d like to hear your story. Your trials, your triumphs, and everything in between. What inspired you to go it alone?
  • A big dream
    Small businesses are built on big dreams – so what’s yours? At Simply Business, we pride ourselves on enabling big dreams, and we want our £25,000 Business Boost to make a real difference.
  • Positive social impact
    As an accredited B Corp, we believe that businesses should be a force for good. From improving diversity and inclusion in your field or community, to how you impact the world around you – we’re looking to hear about the ways your business contributes positively to society.
  • Innovation
    Innovation comes in many shapes and sizes. For some, it could mean cutting-edge technology. But for others, it might mean the creativity needed to turn a hobby into a business. What sets you and your business idea apart from the competition?
  • A thought-out plan
    We’d like to understand your plan – how will you use the £25,000 to boost your business?

Key dates to remember

  • 16 August
    Applications open! Tell us about your business, and how our Business Boost would help. See what our judges are looking for above.
  • 15 October
    Remember to get your entry in before the 15 October deadline.
  • 15 November
    We’ll announce our #BusinessBoost shortlist – keep an eye out for a Simply Business email to see if you’ve made it.
  • 13 December
    We’ll announce our 2024 #BusinessBoost winner.

How to write the best Business Boost entry

Since we launched Business Boost in 2020, we’ve read thousands of fantastic entries but there can only be one winner each year.

So, what does a good entry look like?

  • don’t worry too much about the quality of your writing, the judges are more interested in hearing your story
  • give as much detail as you can, but try to keep your entry under 500 words
  • read the judges’ criteria and focus on what you’d use the £25,000 for

For more tips and examples of award-winning Business Boost entries, read our guide on creating an award entry.

Meet our judges

Get to know our expert judging panel who’ll be awarding one lucky entrepreneur the £25,000 grant.

Timothy Armoo

Entrepreneur

Claire Marchais

Jack Parsons

Harpreet Kaur

Winner BBC’s The Apprentice 2022
and co-founder of Oh So Yum

Tony Robinson OBE

Author and co-Founder of the Micro Business Alliance

Beatriz Montoya

Chief Operating Officer, Simply Business

Get to know last year’s winner

Last year’s winner was Claire Marachais of Fair-Well, a north London based refill store and mobile home delivery service. Claire was selected out of 17,000 entries across the UK and impressed our judges with her drive, passion, and commitment to social impact.

Read more about Fair-Well’s story, why they won, and how they’re using the £25,000 grant to boost their business.

Our previous winners

*A survey of 2,000 UK residents conducted in May 2024

Don’t miss out –
entries close 15 October

Home Business Boost – £25k small business grant