The Santander X UK Awards is a national entrepreneurship competition run by Santander, designed to support early-stage and growing businesses. The awards provide equity-free cash to help businesses to grow and develop. The total prize fund for 2026 is £150,000 with ten prizes ranging from £5,000 to £30,000. Winners also receive a package of business support.
There are three categories:
University – for early-stage university businesses and entrepreneurs who are preparing their go-to-market strategy and are looking to launch.
Startup – for early-stage UK registered businesses that are within their first 18 months of trading, generating up to £250k annual revenue, and are growing and looking to scale
SME – for established, UK registered businesses that have been trading for over 18 months and are generating over £100k annual revenue.
Focus of fund/fund aims:
Entrepreneurship competitions for university businesses, start-ups and SMEs
Application deadline:
6 May 2026
Fund description:
https://www.santanderx.com/en/sites/santander-x-uk-awards.html