Putting the spotlight on an enterprising industry by rewarding great business and the finance that supports it
The UK’s most exciting and generous awards for microentrepreneurs return to the UK to celebrate the impact and achievements of responsible finance providers and the inspiring entrepreneurs they support.
We are delighted to be partnering with the Citi Foundation once again to bring the global Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards to the UK.
The awards recognise the economic, environmental and social impacts generated by responsible finance providers and their clients and champion the outstanding microentrepreneurs who are creating jobs, services and prosperity in their communities.
The 2018/19 Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards are open for entries from responsible finance providers and their clients now.
Why enter?
Becoming a finalist or winning an award will raise your profile and that of your clients – locally, regionally and nationally. It will demonstrate your innovation and excellence and help to share fantastic ideas.
Winners will receive generous prize money:
- 4 winning microenterprises will each receive a £7,500 prize
- 2 responsible finance providers will each receive £20,000 (with £5,000 for the runners-up)
Winners also receive widespread recognition and publicity: we’ll broker media coverage, interviews and case studies about your achievements. In 2017-18 we secured over 60 pieces of media coverage about Award winners and finalists.
All shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend the awards dinner on 13th March 2019 in Liverpool where you can meet and exchange ideas with other leaders working in responsible finance.
Each shortlisted applicant will receive a high-quality and professionally produced film to use for their own marketing purposes – superb content that draws out your key message and success stories in a fascinating, compelling and watchable way.
You’ll be able to post this to your website, on your social media feeds, use it to explain your mission, to engage with clients – all at no cost to you.
This year’s Awards also explicitly invite you to demonstrate how your work directly and indirectly contributes towards reaching the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The 17 SDGs seek to end poverty and inequality, tackle climate change, build resilient, sustainable infrastructures, and ensure people enjoy peace and prosperity in inclusive societies – all by 2030.
Increasingly, purpose-driven businesses, social enterprises, academia, and organisations (across all sectors) are aligning their impacts with the Goals because they address the biggest challenges facing the world, provide a universal framework for global action and cooperation, and foster collaboration.
Entries are restricted to members of Responsible Finance, and so it is a great and unique opportunity to promote your work and your impact. You can also do this by nominating one of your clients for an award.
Why nominate your clients?
By nominating your clients for the Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards you and they can benefit from the promotion and publicity that the awards generate.
Your clients have the opportunity to win generous prize money, potentially transformative to their micro-enterprise: there are four Award categories for entrepreneurs, each with a prize of £7,500.
If shortlisted, your clients will receive a high-quality professionally produced film they can use, again giving them superb, valuable content about their business or social enterprise.
It is a great way to strengthen your relationship with clients; shortlisted clients will be invited to the awards dinner on 13th March 2019 in Liverpool.
Find out more about the award categories and how to enter.
Get going on your application now – the deadline is 9th November – and contact us if you require any help in submitting your Award entry.
(The 2017/18 winners were announced on 20th March – read about them here. The finalists are listed here.)