Small business owners from across Britain will descend on Bristol in September to take part in one of Britain’s longest-running enterprise competitions.
The Pitch, organised by BusinessZone.co.uk, started as a small event in Bristol in 2008, and has since grown into a nationwide competition that has supported hundreds of entrepreneurs.
As in previous years, winners will receive business support worth thousands of pounds including mentoring from serial entrepreneur and Crowdmission.com founder Karen Darby and a day with the founder of Morphsuits, the highly-successful business supplying the original all-in-one festive and stag suits.
For the first time an investment panel including Ben Heald, Bristol entrepreneur and founder of media group Sift, and investors from Heron Capital Partners have come on board with a mini
mum of £25,000 to invest in at least one company taking part in the competition, which is sponsored by email marketing group Constant Contact, Chinese distribution giant Alibaba.com and ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales).
Interested entrepreneurs need to apply at www.thepitchuk.com/enter by 30 June after which up to 50 shortlisted contestants will be selected to compete at The Pitch Live at Paintworks, Bristol, on September 25. Five finalists will then compete in the grand final for the package of support.
The investment panel will announce which companies they are interesting in backing at The Pitch Live.
BusinessZone.co.uk editor and founder of The Pitch, Dan Martin, said: “Our competition had very humble beginnings and I never imagined how much it would grow.
“We are delighted to back for a sixth year in our home town of Bristol. The investment we have on offer is just the injection Britain’s innovative small firms need to grow.
“But The Pitch 2013 isn't just about the contestants. We are on a mission to help as many small business owners as possible by providing advice and making connections.
"The Pitch Live on September 25 will be our biggest live event yet and we can't wait to welcome hundreds of entrepreneurs to Bristol, a city oozing creativity and enterprise.”
BusinessZone.co.uk is Sift Media’s online publication for entrepreneurs providing free, practical and no-nonsense advice on how to start and grow a successful business.
