Founders

The countdown is well and truly on to get your nominations in for BusinessCloud’s Founder 250.

We’ve been deluged with last-minute submissions ahead of the deadline on April 30.

RSM UK is the headline sponsor of the Founder 250 list and is joined by three other sponsors: CG, OBI and Mercia Ventures.

To qualify, companies must have a significant UK presence, be cash-generative and have been founded no later than 2024.

Founder250 banner

While not essential, judges will also favour businesses with a clear purpose, including B Corp status, ESG strategies or a commitment to charity or social impact.

The Founder 250 list is due to be published in June, followed by a series of UK-wide founder roundtables.

BusinessCloud’s executive editor Chris Maguire said: “When we launched our Founder 250 list we were confident we’d get a really good response but you never really know until the submissions come in. We needn’t have worried.

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“We’ve been super impressed by the quality and quantity of nominations that have come in – and there’s still time to join them.

“We’ve had several requests from companies asking for an extension but for now the deadline remains April 30.”

    Company information

    Q1. Company name:

    Q2. Head office address:

    Q3. Date of incorporation/launch:

    Q4. Name(s) of founder(s):

    Q5. What role(s) do the founder(s) currently hold within the business?

    Q6. What is the size of the company (turnover and/or number of employees)?

    Q7. Is the company growing?
    Please provide supporting evidence (e.g. revenue growth, headcount growth, market expansion, etc.)

    Q8. Has the company raised any external investment? If yes, please provide details.

    Q9. Beyond financial performance, can the business demonstrate a clear purpose?
    For example: ESG initiatives, B Corp status, social impact, charitable work, etc.

    Company information

    Q10. Your contact details:

    Core eligibility criteria

    To be considered for the list, companies must:

    • Be founder-led or founder-influenced (e.g. founder as chair, significant shareholder, or in a strategic role)
    • Be a UK-registered company (UK HQ or significant UK operations)
    • Be revenue-generating (not pre-revenue)
    • Demonstrate clear evidence of growth (e.g. revenue, team size, funding, market expansion)
    • Have been founded or incorporated no later than 2024

    While not essential, judges will also look favourably on businesses that demonstrate a clear purpose, such as:

    • B Corp certification
    • ESG strategy
    • Social impact or charitable initiatives
    • Closing date for submissions: 30 April 2026

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