Enterprising individuals who have triumphed over personal adversity to turn their business dreams into a reality have until Friday 16th July to tell the judges their story – and why they should win a share of the £50,000 prize package.
This year’s Barclays Trading Places Awards will also invite people to nominate someone they know who deserves national recognition and in spite of facing some of life’s greatest challenges, are running their own business – for example, a member of their family or even their boss.
Previous finalists have included Bradley Stewart who was left paralysed after a car crash and went on to set-up a mobile disco business, Tracy Mackness who studied farming whilst in prison and now runs a successful pig breeding company, and husband and wife team Kevin and Nikki Sweet, who beat redundancy and long-term unemployment to start a new life in the Welsh countryside as cider makers.
Steve Cooper, chair of the judging panel and Managing Director, Barclays Business, said: “Trading Places is a celebration of men and women who, in spite of great personal challenges, have taken steps to establish a sustainable business and in doing so changed the direction of their lives for the better.
Everyone entering the Awards will have access to a range of business support packages featuring specialist advice and expert mentoring.
Barclays will present the overall winner with a cheque for £10,000, and the runner-up with £5,000 for their business, at a prestigious black-tie gala dinner at The Savoy in London on Tuesday 30th November to be attended by more than 300 VIP guests.
Awards supporters Microsoft and Yell will also be offering tailor-made packages for the 10 National Finalists, including the latest business software and special multi-media advertising packages.
Other Awards partners include youth charity The Prince’s Trust, Leonard Cheshire Disability, the NFEA, Crisis, PRIME and the cdfa.
Entry forms are available in Barclays branches by visiting www.barclays.co.uk/tradingplaces
