Building Something New: Celebrating Entrepreneurial Spirit in Our Armed Forces Community

Starting a business takes courage. Doing so while navigating life during or after military service takes something more: resilience, adaptability, and belief.

Across the Armed Forces community, individuals are transforming experience into enterprise. They are creating businesses that not only sustain livelihoods, but also generate opportunity, innovation and positive social impact. Often, these ventures are born from challenge, shaped by service values, and driven by a desire to give something back.

The Armed Forces Community Awards Business Start-Up Award exists to recognise and celebrate these achievements.

Recognising New Ventures with Real Impact

This award honours an individual or group of individuals connected to the Armed Forces community who have started a successful new business venture within the last two years (since 01 January 2024) and who retain a minimum 50% interest in the business.

It recognises those at an early but critical stage of their entrepreneurial journey where ideas have become action, and ambition is being matched by delivery.

These businesses may be small, but their impact can be significant: creating jobs, supporting communities, innovating in new markets, or addressing unmet needs with insight forged through service.

Enterprise Rooted in Service Values

Many of these start-ups are shaped by the skills and values honed in military life: leadership, teamwork, integrity, and perseverance. They reflect an ability to adapt, to identify opportunity in uncertainty, and to take responsibility for outcomes.

Whether operating in technology, wellbeing, professional services, social enterprise or beyond, these ventures show that service experience is a strong foundation.

What a Nomination Can Mean

For a new business owner, recognition at this stage can be transformational.

A nomination can validate the risk taken, sacrifices made, and the long hours invested. It can raise visibility, open doors to new networks, and reinforce confidence at a moment when self-belief is essential.

Importantly, it also sends a powerful message: that entrepreneurship within the Armed Forces community is valued, respected and celebrated.

Who Do You Know Who Has Taken the Leap?

Pause for a moment and reflect.

• Who have you seen take an idea and turn it into reality?

• Who has built something new?

• Who embodies determination, innovation and purpose?

Often, the most deserving founders are so focused on survival and growth, they don’t seek recognition. That is why your nomination matters. It can be the encouragement that helps someone realise just how far they have come.

In Partnership with Barclays

The Business Start-Up Award is proudly delivered in partnership with Barclays, reflecting their strong commitment to supporting the Armed Forces community for more than 15 years.

Barclays supports veterans, reservists and military families with tailored guidance, employability programmes, and insight and expertise to help them start and grow successful businesses. The bank provides mentoring, financial resources and skills development to empower entrepreneurs from the Armed Forces community to build sustainable futures.

Celebrating Those Who Dare to Begin

Starting a business is not just about profit, it’s about purpose, possibility and progress.

By nominating someone for the Business Start-Up Award, you are recognising courage, creativity and commitment at a pivotal moment in their journey. You are helping to shine a light on the entrepreneurial talent that strengthens both our Armed Forces community and the wider economy.

Now is the time to celebrate those who dared to begin, who would you nominate?

Nominate Today