Nominations for KPMG’s Black Entrepreneurs’ Awards (BEA) have opened for 2022. The annual awards support entrepreneurs from Black Heritage backgrounds, with the chance to win a cash prize and gain access to expertise from within KPMG to accelerate growth for up to 10 finalists.
Under 1% of venture capital investment in the UK has gone to Black Heritage entrepreneurs over the last 10 years [i] – highlighting the systematic barriers Black-owned businesses face when securing finance. KPMG is determined that no barriers to progression should exist for those with Black Heritage backgrounds and the Black Entrepreneurs’ Awards (BEA), now in its third year, is a celebration of Black Heritage entrepreneurs in the UK, promoting these businesses to a wider audience.
John McCalla-Leacy, Partner and Head of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) at KPMG UK said: “I am absolutely thrilled to launch these awards that celebrate the amazing talent of black heritage business owners across the UK. Every year we see brilliant businesses enter the awards and it’s exciting to be able to offer support to Black entrepreneurs who often don’t have access to the resources they need to scale their businesses.
“The awards are an important part of our commitment to the communities in which we work, demonstrating our impact and celebrating black heritage business owners in the UK” he added.
This year, four winners will each scoop a £25,000 prize, which will be announced at the awards ceremony on 6 October. The winners, together with a further six finalists, will also have access to a bespoke 12-month business acceleration programme, designed to support Black heritage entrepreneurs and their start-ups to grow. Previous winners have gone on to great success, including arranging a pilot of their services within KPMG.
Nnamdi Emelifeonwu, BEA winner 2021, said of his experience: “The KPMG Black Entrepreneurs Award has been an incredible experience for Definely. Firstly, the cash prize really benefitted us as we used it towards hiring. There are also regular sessions throughout the programme given by experts from different fields on a broad range of insightful topics to assist with running a successful business. We were given access to a senior KPMG partner as a mentor and in addition to readily offering his time to meet us, he has been instrumental in helping us explore multiple opportunities within KPMG including a pilot with the legal team.”
Nominations for the Awards close on 31st July, with judging taking place in September. To find out more about the awards, please visit the website.