The King’s Awards for Enterprise – Young Founder Category 

The King’s Awards for Enterprise are the UK’s most prestigious business awards. They are administered by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), working closely with Buckingham Palace and No.10. The Awards currently recognise outstanding achievements by UK companies across four categories:

• International Trade
• Innovation
• Sustainability
• Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility)

As part of the Department for Business and Trade’s Small Business Plan, announced on 31 July 2025, a new category has been created to champion the achievements of young entrepreneurs and support the growth of their businesses.

This new category will be known as The King’s Award for Enterprise – Young Founder.

Purpose of the Young Founder Category

The Young Founder category is designed to:

• Recognise the achievements of young entrepreneurs aged 18–30.
• Showcase entrepreneurship as an attractive and viable career path.
• Highlight the impact of young founders and help them grow their businesses through the credibility and profile that the Award provides.
• The Award will recognise the business as a whole, with a specific focus on the young founder or CEO who drives it.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the Young Founder category, businesses must:

• Be based in the UK, including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
• Meet compliance requirements, including HMRC checks and due diligence (e.g., Health & Safety, National Minimum Wage).
• Demonstrate strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices.
• Employ at least two full-time (or equivalent part-time) staff.

Additionally, applicants for the Young Founder category must:

Evidence of commercial success or growth potential is required, including: turnover of £250,000; External funding (such as investment, loans, or grants) totalling £500,000. In addition, the company must have been operating for at least two years and have a minimum of two employees.

• The founder must be aged 18–30 at the time the Award is granted (6 May 2027) and must be actively leading the business during the application period.

Applications will be assessed across five themes:

• Fresh Ideas & Creative Thinking: A short video outlining the founder’s journey, from idea to impact.
• Driving Growth & Industry Influence: Business performance over the past 1–2 years and any recognition as a thought leader.
• Leading & Inspiring: The company’s long-term vision and how it’s implemented; mentoring or ecosystem contributions.
• Strategic Resilience: Examples of challenges faced and how the business adapted.
• Customer Value: How customer satisfaction is measured and used to improve products or services.

Timelines

• The new Young Founder category will open for applications on 6 May 2026, alongside the existing four categories.
• The first recipients will be announced on 6 May 2027.