How much does it cost to enter the Startups 100 Index?

The Startups 100 is completely free of charge to enter. At Startups, we believe businesses should be recognised for their achievements regardless of the size of their bank account. We therefore do not charge application fees. We also do not ask for any listing fees if your application is successful.

When do entries for the Startups 100 Index 2024 close?

Entries will close on October 2nd, when we will begin our unique and comprehensive judging process. You will be notified in January 2024 via email if your application is successful.

Am I eligible to apply?

To qualify for the Startups 100 Index you must be a UK-based, privately owned company that launched on or after 1st January 2018. That’s all we ask! As long as you fulfil this criteria, firms can be based in any industry, virtually anywhere - or just virtually - with founders of any age or background.

Applying for the Startups 100 is easy. We are also one of the few business awards that is completely free of charge to enter. To make a submission, all you have to do is fill in our online entry form. You can find more details on what to include, below.

As always, the businesses making the biggest industry impact will make it into our list of the top 100 firms and sit alongside the likes of industry giants like Monzo, Deliveroo, and THIS™. However, we will also have five specialist award categories to highlight the top 100 companies which are outperforming in areas like sustainability and social impact.

Who judges the submissions?

As always, the Startups team of new business experts will judge all our top 100 entrants in collaboration with specialist industry consultants. We also work with famous entrepreneurial faces who have been there, done that, and sold the t-shirt, to decide our special Startups 100 award winners.

How do I get in touch?

If you have any questions regarding the Startups 100 2024 that you can’t find the answer to here, drop us an email at su100@startups.co.uk or reach out to us on our social channels.

The Startups 100 is one of the best-known industry lists of its kind. Those who feature in our ranking get a wealth of benefits for their hard work and achievements. You’ll get brand exposure to Startups’ hundreds of thousands of online followers and receive regular profiling with backlinks on our site. You’ll also join an exclusive community of like-minded entrepreneurs who support and advocate for each other. We’re also an esteemed resource for investors and industry professionals. Our index is the ideal opportunity to showcase your company’s capabilities and advertise your success, attracting clients and collaborators from across the UK. Best of all, you’ll get all of this for free – we're one of the few business awards that don't charge entry fees.

Apply for the Startups 100 Index 2024

Entries for the Startups 100 Index 2024 have now CLOSED.

Thank you for submitting your application if you have already done so. Alongside our expert panel of guest judges, the team will now review all applications to begin judging.

We’ll be announcing this year’s top 100 new businesses on January 8th. Keep an eye out on the Startups.co.uk website to find out if your business has been featured!

The Startups 100 is the definitive list of the most promising new UK businesses, chosen in collaboration with our authoritative panel of guest judges.

Since 2008, we have identified some of the biggest movers and shakers of the past two decades. Previous alumni include household brands Monzo, Deliveroo, and THIS™. The winner of last year’s list, Caura, recently celebrated receiving £4m in funding from Lloyds Bank.

Celebrating its sweet sixteenth, next year’s list will put the spotlight on those firms who are leading the way for sector innovation in 2024. We’ll also be handing out special awards to the companies excelling in purpose-driven areas like social impact.

It’s a challenging time for new businesses. Amidst record inflation and energy bill mayhem, we want to celebrate the creativity and agility of the UK’s startup landscape, and highlight the inspiring entrepreneurs who are using small ideas to fix giant problems.

We’ll be shouting about the top 100 new businesses for 2024 in January. Watch this space for more!

How much does it cost to enter the Startups 100 Index?
The Startups 100 is completely free of charge to enter. At Startups, we believe businesses should be recognised for their achievements regardless of the size of their bank account. We therefore do not charge application fees. We also do not ask for any listing fees if your application is successful.
When do entries for the Startups 100 Index 2024 close?
Entries will close on October 2nd, when we will begin our unique and comprehensive judging process. You will be notified in January 2024 via email if your application is successful.
Am I eligible to apply?
To qualify for the Startups 100 Index you must be a UK-based, privately owned company that launched on or after 1st January 2018. That’s all we ask! As long as you fulfil this criteria, firms can be based in any industry, virtually anywhere - or just virtually - with founders of any age or background.
How do I apply?
Applying for the Startups 100 is easy. We are also one of the few business awards that is completely free of charge to enter. To make a submission, all you have to do is fill in our online entry form. You can find more details on what to include, below.
What do I win?
As always, the businesses making the biggest industry impact will make it into our list of the top 100 firms and sit alongside the likes of industry giants like Monzo, Deliveroo, and THIS™. However, we will also have five specialist award categories to highlight the top 100 companies which are outperforming in areas like sustainability and social impact.
Who judges the submissions?
As always, the Startups team of new business experts will judge all our top 100 entrants in collaboration with specialist industry consultants. We also work with famous entrepreneurial faces who have been there, done that, and sold the t-shirt, to decide our special Startups 100 award winners.
How do I get in touch?
If you have any questions regarding the Startups 100 2024 that you can’t find the answer to here, drop us an email at su100@startups.co.uk or reach out to us on our social channels.
Why should I apply?
The Startups 100 is one of the best-known industry lists of its kind. Those who feature in our ranking get a wealth of benefits for their hard work and achievements. You’ll get brand exposure to Startups’ hundreds of thousands of online followers and receive regular profiling with backlinks on our site. You’ll also join an exclusive community of like-minded entrepreneurs who support and advocate for each other. We’re also an esteemed resource for investors and industry professionals. Our index is the ideal opportunity to showcase your company’s capabilities and advertise your success, attracting clients and collaborators from across the UK. Best of all, you’ll get all of this for free – we're one of the few business awards that don't charge entry fees.

Why should you apply?

“Appearing in the index has certainly validated our business as a market leading player within our industry, as well as raising our brand awareness and credibility. We were very grateful to have been listed amongst such impressive peers, and hope we can continue to be recognised by Startups 100!”

– Melissa Snover, CEO of Nourished

Our judging methodology

During the application stage, our online form asks businesses to provide us with clear facts and figures that give us evidence of your growth story, ranging from financial details to five-year vision.

Once the judging process begins, we then use this data to assign weighted scores to every business entrant based on five key areas of analysis:

💰 Finance (how much funding have you raised and through what method?)
🏆 External validation (any significant achievements eg. notable partners or clients)
📏 Size of opportunity (what ambitions do you have in terms of scale-up?)
💪 Strength of concept (is your idea unique?)
💡 Innovation: (how is your idea disrupting the market?)

When finalising the top 100, our judges look for impressive business ideas with lots of growth potential – but don’t feel intimidated if you haven’t got big funding figures to advertise or a well-known partner.

The Startups 100 Index is all about celebrating authenticity. We want to hear about the challenges you’ve faced or mistakes you’ve made, and how you’ve overcome them to get to where you are today.

Successful businesses are birthed by determined and innovative people. Feel free to let your personality, passion, and purpose shine through.

What makes a brilliant Startups 100 entry?

“The way you tell the story is important. Quantify your answers with facts & figures but don’t forget people-led insights. Get quotes from all angles, from your team to your partners and suppliers, to demonstrate your impact in an emotive way.”

– Finn Lagun, cofounder of the three-time Startups 100 listee, Pasta Evangelists

How to apply to the Startups 100 2024: step-by-step guide

Applying for the Startups 100 is easy and entirely free. We are proud to be one of the few business awards that does not charge any entry fees. Here’s a 3 step guide to applying:

1. Gather your information

This should include:

Finances – including figures from FY 2022/23 and this year’s projections (any financial information is treated as confidential and will never be disclosed).
Company data – go on, show off your impressive stats such as superfast employee growth, new product launches, or booming subscriber numbers.

2. Fill out our online entry form

We will ask you a number of straightforward questions about:

Who you are. Your entrepreneurial story
What your business is, and what makes it stand out from the competition
Where you are based
When you launched your business
Why you started your business

All of the questions are simple to answer. But no need to rush it. Take your time and make sure you present your brand and its story in the best, most inspiring and original light.

3. Press ‘send’

Once you’ve hit the big red button at the end of the form, your application is complete. We’ll store your submission away until it’s time to begin judging in October 2023.

Please bear in mind that you cannot save your application to come back to later. We recommend writing out all your answers separately first. That way, you can input them in one go when you’re ready.

🚨TOP TIP FOR ENTRY 🚨

Don’t worry about sounding too business-like. We do not want cliched entries with lots of confusing jargon!

Instead, tell us in clear and concise terms who you are, what you have achieved, and why you deserve to be featured in the Startups 100 Index in a way that makes you stand out from the crowd.

❌Here’s an example of a ‘cut and paste job’..

“Startups.co.uk is a small business website that provides guides and advice for entrepreneurs. It was founded in 2000 and caters to a wide readership.”

..compared to a bold and brilliant entry:

✔️“As a serial entrepreneur, I knew the huge difference that being surrounded by an experienced and supportive community makes. But you can’t fit the UK’s three million business owners into one pub.

“Instead, in 2000, I founded Startups.co.uk, the UK’s leading SME advice platform to give SMEs a friendly voice to listen to, and a fountain of knowledge to drink from.

“Today, the site’s mix of considerate guides, inspirational ideas, and authoritative commentary support a monthly readership of 300,000 – and I owe them all a round.”

Read our expert guide for more helpful advice on 5 top tips to boost your Startups 100 entry.

Startups 100: special awards

We want to recognise the startups that prioritise people, planet, or purpose as much as profit. That’s why this year, as in 2023, there will be several other awards up for grabs, including:

Social Impact – for startups putting purpose ahead of profit
Sustainability – for startups prioritising the environment in their mission
Exceptional Founder – for the entrepreneur who has turned their own personal struggles or challenges into a force-for-good

The winners of each of these awards will be chosen at the Startups’ team’s discretion. We’ll also be collaborating with a specialist panel of judges (watch this space – details to follow shortly).

Apply to the Startups 100 Index 2024

The above guide should tell you everything you need to apply to the Startups 100 2024. Now, you’re ready to get started with your application!

However, if you have any more questions, you can always drop us an email at su100@startups.co.uk or reach out on our social channels. Similarly, if you know a startup business that deserves to be on this year’s index, tell them to apply or send us their details.