Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards celebrate responsible business finance sector

Sixteen businesses that have accessed responsible business finance have been announced as finalists at the Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards.

The awards, which are run by the Citi Foundation in partnership with Responsible Finance, are a celebration of the best emerging micro-entrepreneurs and the responsible business finance providers that support them.

Variety

The Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards are now held in more than 30 countries, with the UK’s programme first being introduced in 2013.

A wide variety of businesses were celebrated at the awards, with finalists being announced for categories such as the Growth Award, Social Enterprise Award, Sustainability Award and Young Entrepreneur Award.

Amongst the Responsible Finance providers that were announced as finalists were Financing Enterprise from London and Robert Owen Community Finance from Wales, with both businesses being shortlisted for the Impact Award.

Moneyline from the North West of England was amongst the businesses shortlisted for the Resilience Award, whilst Let’s Do Business Finance Deputy Chief Executive Sean Dennis and DSL Business Finance’s Nicola Cosgrove were shortlisted for the Responsible Finance Leader Award and the Responsible Finance Loan Officer Award respectively.

Privilege

Commenting on selecting this year’s finalists, Thomson Reuters Foundation Social Enterprise Correspondent and awards judge Lee Mannion said: “Whether it’s the small businesses and social enterprises that continue despite the odds in difficult economic circumstances, the forward thinking lenders who seek to support them or the visionary leaders who see past the bottom line to the communities they exist in, it’s always difficult to pick out champions. However, it was pure privilege to be asked to pick from a plethora of uplifting people and companies.”