Business Boost 2023 is now closed
Small business, big impact
All small businesses start with an idea, but not all have the opportunity to finance their ambitions. That’s where we come in. If you're a small business owner, we want to hear from you.
Simply Business is giving away £25,000 to one lucky entrepreneur who can impress our industry judging panel.
We’re also offering a mentoring session from Baroness Karren Brady CBE for our runner-up – invaluable advice from one of the UK’s top business experts to help grow your business further.
Why small businesses need a boost
Small businesses are the beating heart of the UK economy, and it’s never been more important to support their success.
We want to boost a small business with a £25,000 grant because:
- small businesses account for 99% of all British businesses and contribute a combined £2 trillion in annual turnover to the UK economy – we need them to bounce back
- 48% say the cost of living crisis is a significant challenge for their business in 2023 – and we want to help
- 27% will have to use personal savings to prop up their business
- UK small businesses are owed up to £32.1 billion in late payments
Meet our 2023 Business Boost shortlist
Claire Marchais
Charlotte Yau
Amanda Gordon
Efia Mainoo
Elliot Aguirre
Rowan and Eve Rockstro-Vaughan
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?
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.
Meet our judges
Baroness Karren Brady CBE
Vice Chairman of West Ham Football Club
BBC’s The Apprentice
Harpreet Kaur
Co-founder of Oh So Yum
Winner of The Apprentice 2022
Mark Maciver
Sarah Jordan
CEO and Founder of Y.O.U underwear
Winner of Business Boost 2022
Tony Robinson OBE
The Micro Business Champion and Chair of Yorkshire in Business
Co-Founder of the Micro Business Alliance
Alan Thomas
How it works
15 August
Applications open! Tell us a bit about your business, and how our Business Boost would help. See what our judges are looking for above.
11 October
Remember to get your entry in before the 11 October deadline.
8 November
We’ll announce our #BusinessBoost shortlist – keep an eye out for a Simply Business email to see if you’ve made the shortlist.
12 December
We’ll announce our 2023 #BusinessBoost winner.
How to write a good 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.
Our 2022 Business Boost winner
YOU Underwear, an Oxford-based ethical underwear brand founded by Sarah Jordan, was selected out of more than 21,000 entries across the UK.
Read more about YOU underwear's story, why they won, and how they’re using the £25,000 grant to boost their business.
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