Channel 4 has selected four black-owned businesses as the winners of its Black in Business 2024 initiative, backed by Lloyds.
The initiative, which is in its second year, aims to connect Black entrepreneurs with TV advertising and business mentoring opportunities.
This year’s winners are Fleur Bake, who handmakes Jamaican patties; Flora & Curl, a West Midlands-based haircare brand; Alonuko, a women’s luxury fashion brand; and Nylahs Naturals, a West Midlands-based textured haircare brand.
The winners will receive £150,000 worth of TV advertising airtime on Channel 4. They will also receive mentorship from executives at Channel 4 and Lloyds.
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Channel 4 Sales commercial developmental lead Christopher Remie said: “All our finalists showcased a remarkable blend of purpose, research, and quality that highlights the excellence of Black-owned businesses in the UK.
“Choosing the winners was tough, but our selected businesses excelled in showcasing their strong products and readiness to scale through engaging presentations. They were chosen for their potential to thrive with TV advertising, leveraging its reach to drive growth and connect with new customers.”
The initiative was set up after separate research projects research from Channel 4, supported by Lloyds showed that Black-owned startups faced more obstacles compared to their white counterparts.
Channel 4 head of sales nations and regions and business development, Ewan Douglas, said: “I’m proud that we had the opportunity to be introduced to so many promising businesses through the Black in Business initiative, and look forward to the next exciting phase as the winners work with Channel 4 on their adverts.
“Our shortlisted businesses at the top 20 and top 8 stages had tremendous potential, which made it all the more difficult to make a decision on who our winners would be.”
He added: “Fundamentally, we were blown away by the entrepreneurial journeys of our chosen winners, and excited at the chance to work with them. We’re confident that Channel 4 will do our best to provide the expertise and insights needed to supercharge these businesses, helping them grow from strength to strength.”
Lloyds Banking Group CEO business and commercial Elyn Corfield said: “These talented entrepreneurs have shown tremendous passion in starting and scaling their businesses, and that passion shone brightly throughout this year’s competition. Creativity and resilience are key to running a successful business so we look forward to seeing these winners thrive and inspire others.
“We already support over one million British businesses at all stages of their journey, across the UK, so whether you’re planning to turn a side hustle into a viable business or looking to grow an existing one, our Black entrepreneur’s programme is committed to supporting those ambitions and helping Britain prosper”.
