Do your thing! Your idea, your way
Are you an emerging Gloucester entrepreneur aged 18–30 with a great business idea or a venture already taking shape? Want the chance to bring it to life with expert support, funding, and valuable exposure? This is your moment! Share your idea with us for the chance to win one of five awards worth up to £2,000, based on the positive impact your business can make in Gloucester and the surrounding areas.
What is ‘Do your thing!’?
Do Your Thing! is an awards programme designed to support young entrepreneurs in Gloucester who have the passion, creativity, and drive to start something new ⭐
This is open to anyone in the early stages of setting up a business with a brilliant business idea or someone that has been trading for under 3 years.
Whether your idea is a product, service, or community-changing project, we want to hear about it – your idea, your way💡
Eligibility and Criteria
Find out more about our eligibility and criteria for ‘Do your thing!’ below. Check out our other frequently asked questions too.
- You must live in Gloucester or plan to start your business up in Gloucester.
- To apply you must be between the ages 18-30 years old.
- Your business idea must be innovative and financially sustainable.
- Your business idea needs to have a positive impact on Gloucester City Centre.
- You must be in a position to start your business before the end of March 2026.
- If you already have a business, it has to have been running for less than 3 years by March 2026.
How it works
- Apply your way – Submit your idea through a video, photos, or presentation, the more creative the better!
- Showcase your idea – Pitch your business or idea at our public event where you can showcase this to the local community.
- Win what you need – Be in with the chance of winning 1 of 5 awards based on the impact your idea will have on Gloucester City Centre and beyond.
What you could win
You can win and gain access to a wide range of things to help your business grow, including:
- Business grants
- Stock & equipment
- Professional business guidance
- Other tailored support to kickstart your venture – let us know what you need!
Why apply?
You’ll unlock opportunities like:
- Access to mentorship and business expertise
- Grow your network and meet like-minded innovators
- Showcase your idea to the public and local business leaders
- Gain the resources to turn your idea into reality.
Make your mark on Gloucester
We’re looking for ideas that will bring positive impact and fresh energy to Gloucester City Centre.
This is your chance to help shape the future of our community while building your own.
📆 Deadline for applications: 3pm Friday 30 January 2026
*The application form linked above does not autosave, so please take a look at the application questions beforehand to prep yourself so you don’t lose progress. Your information will be saved once you reach the end of the form and are redirected back to this landing page.
To request a copy of the competition terms and conditions, please contact [email protected].
Frequently asked questions
Eligibility & Requirements
Young entrepreneurs aged 18-30 who are starting or running a business in Gloucester. Your business must be based in Gloucester and deliver a clear benefit to the city.
We welcome applications from entrepreneurs at the idea stage right through to businesses that are up to 3 years old.
Yes. You must live in Gloucester, or your business must already be operating in Gloucester, or you must plan to set up your business there. Please input your postcode into the GOV.UK website to check your address falls under Gloucester City Council, we will not accept applicants that don’t fall under Gloucester City Council.
This could include creating local jobs, serving the local community, addressing a local need, supporting other Gloucester businesses, contributing to the local economy, or enhancing the city’s cultural or social life.
The Grant
We’re offering 5 grants of up to £2,000 each. The exact amount awarded will depend on your business needs and plans.
Grant funds can be used for business essentials such as equipment, stock, marketing, website development, training, or other start-up costs. We’ll need to see a clear breakdown of how you plan to spend the money.
This is a grant, which means you don’t need to pay it back.
Application Process
Open the application form linked above and answer the questions the best you can. There is a link with the application questions on above too which you can review and come up with your own answers before opening an application. (Please note that the application does not auto save, so please use a reliable computer to complete and prepare your answers beforehand if you need more time. There is no time limit on the application form.)
3pm Friday 30 January 2026
Applications will be judged on the strength of the business idea, potential benefit to Gloucester, feasibility of the plan, and how effectively the grant will be used.
After applications close on the 30 January 2026, a screening process will take place and applicants will find out in February whether they have been shortlisted. Then winners will find out if they have won by the 16 March 2026.
Other Questions
You can apply if you have received other grants or funding, as long as you meet the criteria & requirements for the application process.
You can apply as a team, however there must be a project lead who is the main point of contact and fills in their details in the application form, and there is only one prize up for grabs as a group.
The Start & Grow Enterprise programme is a free support service that offers workshops, networking events, and one-to-one drop-in sessions for people in the early stages of starting a business and in need of further support. Follow us on social media sites for booking links and to stay up to date.
Please sign up to our application drop-in session links below if you have any questions.
Connect with us on social
Application support
For assistance with your application please join our one hour drop-in sessions for your chance to speak to a member of the team about the application form. Feel free to pop into either session within the hour they are running to ask any questions you need.
Contact us
If you want to get involved with the awards scheme you can email the team on [email protected]
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