The Pitch is a free competition open to everyone. Are you looking to level up your business with investment in 2022? Then this is the competition for you.
Get your business in front of investors + prizes worth £10k + mentoring and coaching package
The Pitch winner gets a £5,000 grant and a money-can’t-buy mentoring package, while the winner of our side hustle competition – new for 2022 – will get £5,000 towards equipment for their business.
We work hard to introduce the founders that take part to investors too – the nine 2021 finalists have already raised £1m+ through our connections.
60 regional finalists will compete in events across the UK this September. You’ll get to work with a pitching coach before taking the stage and pitching to active seed investors.
If you have a side hustle, this year we have a competition stream dedicated just to you. Simply fill in the application form and tick the side hustle box for the chance to win.
Apply before 31 May 2022 to win a 1:1 session with investor Simon Squibb
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We met some great people at The Pitch. One of the Final judges has made an investment in YesRef, which is an amazing story as a wildcard. We also got put in touch with Crowdcube and are about to go live with a raise.
– YesRef Founder & Chief Operating Officer Ben Williamson
How The Pitch works
Step one: The application
Fill out your entry form. Most of the form is multiple choice and takes 10 minutes to complete. It asks you for details including:
- Which competition you want to enter – The Pitch or our new side hustle competition
- When your company launched
- How much revenue you have generated so far
- How much investment you want to raise
- Why you deserve to win The Pitch
If you have any questions or would like support with your application form try our FAQ or email Applications@ThePitch.uk to speak to one of our friendly team members.
Step two: The community
You’ll join our community where you’ll get access to exclusive content from our business coaches, mentors, investors, and partners. They will take you through a programme of activity including free articles, guides, videos, webinars, and events designed to get you investment ready.
Step three: The competition
Your application will be shared with our team of judges, who could pick your startup to work with our pitching coaches before giving a 90-second pitch to investors and journalists at the live regional semi-finals.
This year’s regional semi-finals will be held in London, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham and Edinburgh! All semi-finalists will be given support with promotion and PR so you can shout about your journey with The Pitch, and why you deserve to win.
Our panel of judges will choose a winner. Plus there’s a People’s Choice vote so fans can get involved too!
Step four: The final
After each regional, we share the judges’ feedback with detailed scoring to help startups improve their pitch. Scores will be added to our leaderboard, which will be seen by thousands of people, including investors, journalists and potential customers.
The top 10 startups from the regional finals go on to compete in The Pitch Grand Final in London on 27 October 2022.
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I’d never stood up in front of that large of an audience. It was a big crowd at The Pitch Final. But it really felt like The Pitch team were there to support us – at other startup competitions, you just feel like you’re being analysed all the time. That was quite unique.
– The Moment Device founder Lucy Jung
Who is The Pitch for?
The Pitch 2022 is for founders, entrepreneurs and startups who’ve launched, proven their idea works and are seeking funding to take their business to the next stage.
This year we also have a competition for people who are looking to turn a side hustle into a full-time business. So even if you’re not sure if your business is ready yet, take 10 minutes to fill in the application and let us do the rest.
Not ready to apply?
If you’re not already signed up to The Pitch and you don’t feel ready to apply just yet, take two seconds to let us know who you are here and we’ll send you hints, tips and advice on how to complete your application form.
All the sessions in the programme were extremely useful. It’s a great opportunity to get inspired, learn from others and to share our experience.
– Oddbox co-founder Emilie Vanpoperinghe
Who’s taken part in The Pitch in the past?
The Pitch brings together startups with amazing ideas who go on to become industry leaders.
We’re incredibly proud of everything our past Pitchers achieve – here are just a handful of the brilliant businesses who have taken part in the last few years. You can see more on our Alumni page.
- 3D holographic business HYPERVSN has been backed by Mark Cuban and has over 100 employees
- Food delivery service EatFirst now delivers nationwide and has raised over £6m in funding
- Small Robot Company has raised £3.2m with The Pitch partner Crowdcube
Need help with your application?
Read our FAQ if you want help – we’ve tried to cover everything – or email Applications@ThePitch.uk.
Want to wax lyrical about your startup or send us a song recommendation? Try Chris@ThePitch.uk.
