To qualify for the Young Founder category, businesses must:
Additionally, applicants for the Young Founder category must:
2. Driving Growth & Industry Influence: business performance over the past one to two years, and any recognition as a thought leader. 3. Leading & Inspiring: the company’s long- term vision and how it is implemented; mentoring or ecosystem contributions. 4. Strategic Resilience: examples of challenges faced and how the business adapted. 5. Customer Value: how customer satisfaction is measured and used to improve products or services.
• Be based in the UK, including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
• Show evidence of commercial success or growth potential, such as a turnover of £250K, or external funding (i.e. investments, loans, grants) totalling £500K. • The founder must be aged 18 to 30 at the time the Award is granted (6 May 2027), and must be actively leading the business during the application period.
• Meet compliance requirements, including HMRC checks and due diligence (for example Health & Safety, National Minimum Wage, etc).
• Demonstrate strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices.
Applications will be assessed across five themes:
• Employ at least two full-time (or equivalent part-time) staff.
1. Fresh Ideas & Creative Thinking: a short video outlining the founder’s journey, from idea to impact.
King’s Awards Magazine 2026
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