As part of American Express’ Shop Small campaign, the globally integrated payments company is pledging a total of £100,000 to support small businesses this Autumn.
As a longstanding backer of the high street, American Express is calling on its cardmembers to nominate their favourite independent small businesses through a new ‘Champion Small’ initiative, with 10 businesses nationwide each set to receive a £10,000 grant. This can be spent by the winning businesses to support growth by, for example, purchasing new equipment, shop signage, or investing in marketing and advertising.
American Express is encouraging its cardmembers to get involved by entering everyone who nominates a small business into a prize draw to win a £1,000 statement credit. To nominate a business, cardmembers must visit the Champion Small website by December 7.
Shortlisted firms will be put forward to an expert judging panel that will score them against criteria including customer reviews, product innovation, community impact, and how the grant will positively benefit their business.
The judging panel – which includes Michelle Ovens CBE, director of Small Business Saturday UK; Golda Rosheuvel, co-owner of small business Imma The Bakery; Andrew Goodacre, CEO of BIRA (British Independent Retailers Association); Tony Sophoclides, strategic affairs director at UK Hospitality; and Dan Edelman, general manager of merchant services at American Express – will then decide on 10 winners.
American Express has a long history of championing the high street through its Shop Small campaign and is the founder and principal supporter of Small Business Saturday in the UK, which takes place on December 7, coinciding with the closing date for Champion Small nominations.
Dan Edelman said: “Over a decade since its launch, our Shop Small campaign continues to encourage people out onto the high street, and we’re thrilled to extend our backing of small business this year by offering 10 Champion Small grants. Small, independent shops are hugely valuable to local communities across the UK and our hope is that this funding helps these businesses continue to thrive.”
Michelle Ovens added: “Small Business Saturday has always been about celebrating the phenomenal contribution small businesses make to our lives. So it’s wonderful to see this new initiative by American Express that will not only encourage greater recognition of the UK’s amazing small firms, but also provide much-needed financial support to help them to scale and unleash new innovations.”
