Win a £10k business grant for business owners aged 40+
The path to your dreams is rarely linear. Get funding for your next step.
Win a £10k business grant
T&Cs apply. One entry per person and business. The Second Act Entrepreneur Fund promotion is open to UK residents aged over 40. Full eligibility terms here. Competition closes 23:59 on 12 November 2026. Simply Business will announce winners on or before 4 December 2026.
Funding for your new path
Over one third (34%) of people over 40 would rather own their own business than work for an employer. They have the experience. They have ambition. So, what’s stopping them? Funding and mentorship.
That’s why we’ve launched the Second Act Entrepreneur Fund – awarding £10,000 to five entrepreneurs over the age of 40. Because we believe Britain has a pool of hidden entrepreneurial talent ready to emerge, if only they had the support.
We’re giving away…
£10,000 of funding to five business owners aged 40+
one-to-one business coaching from the experts at Hatch Enterprise
Enter now
Enter by midnight on 12 November 2026 for your chance to win. The Second Act Entrepreneur Fund is open to applicants aged 40 or over.
Don’t forget to read our entry criteria to see what our judging panel (including later-in-life entrepreneur Levi Roots) are looking for in a winner.
Learn more about
Get your business reviewed by Levi Roots
Business owner Levi Roots is helping us find our five winners – using his entrepreneurial expertise to decide who gets a £10,000 grant.
Levi began selling his Reggae Reggae Sauce in London at the age of 47. The next year he appeared on national TV, gaining £50,000 of funding from investors. Since then, he’s been stocked in countless supermarkets, opened a restaurant, and published a cookbook.
“I was a musician for a long time before Reggae Reggae Sauce existed, and even once I had the perfect recipe, it wasn’t until I was 48 that I really took a chance on it. But ideas don’t have a use-by date – and neither do you.”
Levi Roots
Entrepreneur and Second Act Entrepreneur Fund judge
What our research reveals
is the economic value of entrepreneurs aged 40+
Which is why it’s more important than ever they have the funds and support to take that next step…
34%
of over-40s feel confident they have the skills to run a successful business
60%
believe those 40+ have a business advantage from their practical life experience
38%
of over-40s worry that it’s too late to start a business
65%
say mentorship from experienced business owners would make them more confident
So why not take the next step in your journey?
Entry criteria – what we’re looking for in a winner
We want to know why you started your business and how you’ll use the grant and business coaching from Hatch Enterprise to supercharge your business.
Let us know what you do and why you started your business (or, if you haven’t already started, want to).
Entries will be judged on:
If you won, how would you use the £10,000 funding? (100 words)
Share with us clear and legitimate plans for how you’d use the funding. Entries will be judged on:
Whether the business is viable
Do you know how your business will generate enough revenue to cover its expenses and sustain itself in the long term?
Whether you can prove a demand for the business
Do you have market research to prove a gap in the market, or do you already have a strong customer base?
Ambitions and plans for growth
What do you hope to do in the future and how will you grow the business?
Key dates to remember
8 October
Applications open! Tell us about your business and how winning our Second Act Entrepreneur Fund would help.
12 November
Remember to get your entry in before the deadline.
4 December
We’ll announce the winners of our Second Act Entrepreneur Fund.
Mid-December
Our Second Act Entrepreneur Fund winners begin their compulsory one-to-one business coaching. After completion, winners will receive the £10,000 grant.
FAQs – everything you need to know
If you can’t see the answer to your question, you can reach out to us at [email protected] or on social media.
About Hatch Enterprise
Hatch Enterprise is a national charity that helps develop entrepreneurs’ skills, knowledge, and confidence through unique programmes designed by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs.
Since 2014, Hatch has supported more than 10,000 UK entrepreneurs to flourish – building a vibrant network of partners, funders, and investors who share their vision.
About Simply Business
We’re one of the UK’s largest business insurance providers. Since we started life in 2005, we’ve helped three million small businesses and self-employed people find the protection that’s right for them, from builders to bakers and personal trainers (we cover landlords, too).
Nearly a million customers across 1,000 different trades trust us to support them with their insurance.
You can build a policy tailored to your business, choosing the covers that you need to help protect your business’s name.
Methodology
The £391 billion figure is a modelled estimate of potential. A survey of 2,000 UK adults by OnePoll revealed 13% of UK adults aged over 40 have a business idea they have not yet acted on. Applied to the UK over-40 adult population, this equates to approximately 4.3 million people. Multiplying this by £89,889 – the average annual turnover of a UK business with no employees, according to Business Advice – gives a potential revenue opportunity of c.£391 billion, assuming each person launched a business performing at that average level.