Prince's Trust Tomorrow's Business Awards

As you are aware I currently volunteer as a business mentor for the Prince’s Trust. As part of their annual scheme to help support young people who set up their own business, the Prince’s Trust also run an award ceremony to celebrate and recognise those who have a strong business ambition.

I recently received the information below regarding the upcoming awards and would like to share this information so that any prospective young people who may wish to enter can do so.

About the Awards

Today we launch our brand new Tomorrow's Business Awards, inspired by HRH The Prince of Wales, at the Enterprise Fayre at Lambeth Palace. The awards aim to raise awareness of the Enterprise programme, attract new people who may benefit from our support and profile the long-term commitment of NatWest, as The Trust’s key partner in Enterprise. We hope they will enable young people who have been supported through The Prince’s Trust Enterprise Programme to make a transformational difference to their business.

Young people will be encouraged to enter themselves for the Awards via The Prince’s Trust website (www.princes-trust.org.uk/tomorrowsbusiness) from today until Tuesday 30^th August. Entrants will be asked to explain how they want to expand or innovate their business with the prizes that we are offering.  Businesses will be judged on their aspirations rather than on turnover, back story etc. and winners will be shortlisted by a panel in early September, with a special lunch for three winners to held w/c 19^th September.

Who is eligible to enter?

·         We’re looking for businesses who’ve received any kind of Enterprise support from The Prince’s Trust over the last 10 years. We’re looking for businesses in any field including technology, creative industries and those who are focused on improving the environment.
·         The young person must have been registered on the Enterprise programme, Business programme or with Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust since 1^st January 2006.
·         To be clear, a young person who went on EEC but then didn’t go on to business launch panel is still eligible as long as they have gone on to start up a business, as is a young person who only went on EEC last month.
·         They must have fully paid off their loan (if they had one) or be up to date with repayments.
·         They can enter the business that they set up with support from the Trust OR a different business which was set up after they received support from the Trust. This is to acknowledge that some young people move on to further business ventures after initially coming to us for support e.g. if the market for their first business changes and that business closes, they would still be using the skills they learnt with us to start a new enterprise.
·         They must still own and run a business, not be employed by someone else.
·         They and their business must be based in the UK.

Prizes:

• A cash amount of £3000 to enable business growth or innovation
• A gift-in-kind mentoring session linked to a skill or need within the company
• A package of pro-bono support via Prince’s Trust partners
• A trophy 

www.princes-trust.org.uk/tomorrowsbusiness