Black Equity Organisation announces F100 Growth Fund Programme (UK)

The programme will create a vital and tight-knit cohort of Black British entrepreneurs, with valuable, regular opportunities to network and share experiences, successes and challenges.

This flagship programme’s focus on economic empowerment and equity of opportunity will reduce inequality and enable ambitious Black entrepreneurs to thrive and succeed.

F100 will help ambitious Black entrepreneurs with innovative ideas to take their businesses to the next level.

F100 – Key Goals

• Increased and improved access to finance: More Black founders confidently scaling and diversifying their businesses.
• Business growth: More jobs created, more Black businesses succeeding.
• Female founders boost: Equity and better representation of Black female founders, reflected in an increase in women entrepreneurs participating and accessing finance through F100 or from other investors.
• Policy changes and wider systemic impact: Codification of F100 leading to more, similar programmes and partnerships with corporates, and ultimately wider policy and systemic changes in the UK entrepreneurship landscape.

Benefits

• If you are successful in your application, this is what you’ll get in return:
  • The opportunity to pitch for up to £15,000 in funding, to a panel made up of business experts and partners at the end of the programme
  • 12-months free Sky Business broadband and phone package for the most innovative businesses
  • Access for Black entrepreneurs to supply chains, connections and insights from a global business.
  • A tailored 10-week programme to help high-growth Black businesses scale through a series of workshops, mentorship, supply chain support and Investment readiness support.
  • Get to work with a network of mentors and community organisations to advise and assist new enterprises
  • Support from Black founders and entrepreneurs with relevant knowledge and skills, as well as opportunities to meet prospective partners and funders
  • Opportunities to pitch your business to investors and VCs and procurement teams
  • BEO Community events for peer-to-peer networking with other Black founders

Eligibility Criteria

• For businesses
  • So that you can benefit from this fantastic opportunity, they are interested in hearing from high growth potential businesses who are at the right stage to maximise this programme. Your business will need to:
    • Be a UK-registered company.
    • Be a B2B or B2C business.
    • Have a website and/or social media profile.
    • Is leveraging technology to scale its products or services.
    • Ready to scale – you have already received some investment (from family, friends, or other sources)
    • Launched your MVP (minimum viable product), which is:
      • Generating a minimum of £5000 in revenue (annual) OR
      • Must have at least two pilot testing companies and
      • Have raised at least £1,000 in funding.
• For founders
  • As a founder, you will need to:
    • Be over 18 and a UK resident. They are particularly interested in supporting female Black founders.
    • Be of Black African, Black Caribbean, Black British, and/or Mixed-race descent (at least one founder of a business must be of Black ethnic descent).
    • Own at least 51% of the company and have a sector-specific business and industry knowledge.
    • Be able to commit to a 10-week hybrid programme of strategy workshops, insight day events, networking evenings, and other events.

Application Process

• As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete an online application form and upload a 2-minute video explaining why you have applied to join the F100 Growth Fund and what you hope to gain from the programme. You will also be required to upload a 7-slide pitch deck that outlines why they should invest resources in your business.
• Shortlisted applicants will be notified at the beginning of May.

For more information, visit Black Equity Organisation.