LLOYDS BANKING GROUP ANNOUNCES SEARCH FOR NEW BUSINESS
STARS
• New Lloyds TSB Enterprise Awards programme to launch in
November
• Nationwide hunt for emerging entrepreneurial talent from
the UK's university students and graduates
• Group to offer winner a £50,000 cash injection and
business mentoring
• Programme is the latest step in the Group's ongoing
support for small businesses
Lloyds Banking Group has today announced that it is to launch a
brand new awards programme, to search for the small business stars
that are emerging through Universities in England and Wales.
The Lloyds TSB Enterprise Awards will see Lloyds Banking Group
join forces with the National Consortium of University
Entrepreneurs (NACUE), the UK's only representative of university
entrepreneurs, to search for the best small businesses run by the
nation's students and graduates. There are currently more than
55,000 businesses being run by current or recent graduates.
The search will take place across England and Wales with two
awards - Best Enterprise and Best Start Up - and nominations will
open in November 2011. A series of regional heats will be then be
held, with winners of both awards in each heat to be announced in
February 2012. The regional winners will then move forward into a
national final, in March 2012, where they will compete for national
titles.
The awards programme is Lloyds Banking Group's latest
initiative, as part of its ongoing drive to encourage enterprise
and support small businesses across the UK. The Group will award
the Best Enterprise national winner a cash prize of £50,000 as well
as a valuable programme of mentoring support to help the businesses
through its next phase of growth.
Announcing the Lloyds TSB Enterprise Awards at the Reform Higher
Education and Enterprise Conference, in London today, António
Horta-Osório, CEO, Lloyds Banking Group said: "Small businesses and
enterprise are the life blood of the UK economy. It is our role to
support them as well as the entrepreneurs behind their success.
"Our universities are a major source of the next generation of
entrepreneurs and if we are to continue to prosper as a country,
then we need the best and the brightest to take what they learn and
use it to create innovation and to help us find solutions in a
changing and highly competitive world.
"This why we are launching these awards, through which we
will celebrate success and, I hope, inspire others."
Hushpreet Dhaliwal, CEO, NACUE said: "Universities are hotbeds
of enterprise and innovation and they have a crucial role to play
in securing the UK's future growth and its role on the world stage.
But we know that students want more support in bringing their
business ideas to fruition. That is why it's so important that we
identify, and nurture the business talent that exists across these
institutions.
"Lloyds Banking Group is leading the way in building such
initiatives, that will engage and develop enterprise. These awards
are another example of this support. We are delighted to be playing
a part in this new programme and we look forward to celebrating the
many success stories that will emerge as a result."