A leading wealth manager backs the next generation of female entrepreneurs and visionary business leaders as drivers of innovation, growth and economic progress.

The Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards has announced Cazenove Capital as the official sponsor of both the Female Founder of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year categories for 2026, reinforcing the Awards’ commitment to championing entrepreneurship, innovation and outstanding business leadership across the UK.

Female founders represent one of the most powerful and fast-growing forces within British business, yet continue to face disproportionate barriers to funding, visibility and scale. Despite making up a significant and increasing share of the UK’s entrepreneurial landscape, female-led businesses still receive a fraction of total investment capital. Unlocking this potential is not only a matter of equity, but a critical economic opportunity for the UK.

Originally launched as a category within the Awards to shine a dedicated spotlight on women in business, the Female Founder of the Year Award reflects a core mission led by Founder Sarah Austin to celebrate, support and elevate female founders at every stage of their journey, while inspiring the next generation to follow in their footsteps.

The Cazenove Capital Female Founder of the Year Award will recognise exceptional women who are building high-performing, purpose-driven businesses with clear ambition for growth. Open to UK-based female founders across all sectors, the category will honour those demonstrating strong commercial performance, innovative thinking, resilient leadership, and a meaningful contribution to their industry or community. Judges will be looking for founders who are not only delivering results today, but shaping the future of British business through vision, determination and impact.

At a time when inclusive growth is firmly on the national agenda, this category serves as both recognition and catalyst, celebrating success stories while actively contributing to a broader movement to increase access, representation and opportunity for female entrepreneurs.

Commenting on the partnership, Nathalie Krekis, Portfolio Director from Cazenove Capital said:

“We are proud to sponsor the Female Founder of the Year Award and support the incredible women who are redefining what business leadership looks like in the UK. At Cazenove Capital, we work closely with entrepreneurs and understand both the opportunities and challenges that come with building and growing a business. This partnership allows us to champion female founders who are not only achieving commercial success, but creating lasting impact across industries and communities.”

Sarah Austin, Founder of the Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards, added:

“This is a category incredibly close to my heart. When we launched Female Founder of the Year, it was driven by a clear need to create greater visibility, recognition and opportunity for women building brilliant businesses across the UK. There is extraordinary talent, ambition and resilience among female founders, and yet too often they remain underrepresented at the highest levels of business recognition and investment.

Our partnership with Cazenove Capital is a powerful step forward in continuing that mission. Their sponsorship of both the Female Founder of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year categories speaks to a shared belief that exceptional leadership and entrepreneurial ambition deserve to be celebrated in all its forms. Together, we are not only recognising today’s outstanding founders and business leaders, but actively contributing to a future where the next generation have greater access, greater confidence and greater opportunity to succeed.”

The Cazenove Capital Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognises an enterprising individual who has achieved sustained growth and strong financial performance by building an engaged and productive team with a culture of innovation and resilience. Focusing on the personal contribution of a dynamic leader, the Award is open to individuals operating in the public, private or third sector. Judges will look for visionary and inspirational leadership, identification of untapped market opportunities, strong commercial performance, and a clear potential and plan for sustained growth.

The Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards is widely regarded as one of the UK’s leading platforms for celebrating excellence in leadership, innovation and performance. The addition of Cazenove Capital as sponsor of both the Female Founder of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year categories further strengthens the 2026 programme, ensuring that exceptional entrepreneurship in all its forms receives the national recognition it both deserves and requires to thrive.

Entries for both the The Cazenove Capital Entrepreneur of the Year Award and Cazenove Capital Entrepreneur of the Year Award are now open via The Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards website.

You can find out more about Cazenove Capital here – Wealth management for business owners and entrepreneurs – Wealth Management – Cazenove Capital