“Britain’s Best Local Businesses” will encourage people to nominate businesses that have had an impact on their local community for the chance for the business to win £20,000 and the individual who nominates to win £1,000.
Barclays will sponsor both in paper and online activity with the campaign receiving strong editorial backing from editor Rebekah Wade and business editor Steve Hawkes.
Through the campaign Barclays and The Sun will seek to champion local businesses and demonstrate ways consumers can make a difference.
Entries will be split regionally into eight local areas with a runner up winner being picked from each region, each winning £5k. A grand prizewinner will then be picked from these nine businesses and will receive an extra £15,000. Dragons Den star Theo Paphitis has joined the campaign as a judge and mentor and will give his expertise to the prizewinner.
Abba Newbury, solutions director News International said: “We are very excited to be rallying the nation with Barclays to Back British Biz. Just one small change in the decisions we make could save a local business, and this partnership will create real societal change, exactly what The Sun does best.”
Steve Cooper, managing director of Barclays Local Business, said: “Barclays recognises that local businesses are at the heart of our communities and they are utterly crucial to regional economies. We want to recognise their contribution to daily life and so we’ve put together a competition to highlight their great work.”
