Convenience retailers with newer businesses could secure up to £70,000 in grant funding through a NatWest competition designed to help entrepreneurs accelerate their growth.
The NatWest Accelerator Pitch is open to UK-registered limited companies incorporated within the last five years and generating up to £1m in annual revenue.
Entries close at 5pm on 16 October, giving eligible retailers just over a week to submit a 60-second video explaining how the funding would help their business grow. Applicants do not need to be NatWest customers, but must join the bank's free Accelerator community.
The £100,000 prize pot will be split between three winners, with £70,000 for first place, £20,000 for second and £10,000 for third. The money is provided as a grant rather than a loan.
What could retailers use the money for?
While NatWest does not specify particular projects that the funding must support, the competition asks applicants to demonstrate how the money would help their business grow.
That could make it relevant to retailers looking to turn an idea into a practical store project – such as developing a new customer service, investing in technology, testing a new retail concept or expanding an existing innovation.
The important point for retailers is that the application needs to demonstrate a clear growth opportunity, rather than simply explain what the business would spend the money on.
NatWest says finalists will be selected based on how strongly they demonstrate that the funding will help their business grow, alongside evidence of a track record of setting and achieving business goals.
There are some important eligibility limits
This isn't an opportunity open to every independent retailer.
Businesses must be:
- UK-registered limited companies
- Incorporated within the last five years
- Generating up to £1m in annual revenue
- Owned by someone aged 18 or over who is a UK resident
- Part of the NatWest Accelerator community
Applicants also need to submit a 60-second video pitch.
That five-year incorporation requirement means many established convenience stores will not qualify. However, it could be particularly relevant to newer retailers, recently launched businesses, or entrepreneurs who have established a separate limited company around a new retail proposition.
Five finalists will be selected to pitch at the London final on 19 November 2026, where they will deliver a 10-minute pitch followed by questions from the judges.
See the full eligibility criteria and competition details here.