Applications are now open for aspiring fashion and interiors business owners to win the chance of a lifetime as part of a major new competition being run by the free newspaper Metro.
The competition, which launches today (16 March), is called Venture Candy and aims to find the UK’s top up-and-coming entrepreneurs and to help their new businesses become established brands.
The lucky winners will receive investment and a host of other top prizes that will give them the business foundations they need to grow.
The benefits on offer to the finalists include a £50,000 advertising campaign, mentorship and a PA service. Other elements of the prize involve marketing and branding, IT support and membership to premier business clubs in the UK.
The application process is simple and easy and is a refreshing shift away from the established format of business investment, where gatekeepers are corporate, wealthy financiers. Venture Candy is easy and free to enter with no “old boy network” to navigate.
The only criterion is that each business idea must fit in to one of the five umbrella themes, which are: Design & Technology, Food & Drink, Fashion & Interiors, Health & Beauty and Green.
Applications can be submitted until 6th April after which time a panel of judges, including Sarah Beeny, Piers Linney, Laura Tenison and Richard Reed, will select the best 3 from each category, from a list of the top 100.
It will then be up to Metro readers to vote for their favourite products, as the top 15 are featured in the newspaper.
The five lucky winners, one from each category, will also receive creative support from The Scarlett Mark, who co-created and designed the project with Metro. Whilst the top 100 entrants will have their businesses reviewed by the panel of investors, with the potential for their business to receive independent investment.
For further details about entering and the prizes, visit www.venturecandy.co.uk