Julie Begbie, founder of the Happy Business Company named finalist in the 2025 Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards

Known as “The Grammys of Entrepreneurship”, the awards celebrate the most exceptional and inspiring business stories across the UK. This year’s shortlist includes over 800 entrepreneurs from every nation and region of the UK, all recognised for their innovation, impact and resilience.

Past winners include the founders of BrewDog, Grenade, ClearScore, Zilch, and Unbiased, many of whom were recognised early in their entrepreneurial journey by the awards.

This year’s finalists:

Julie Begbie from Penicuik named finalist in the 2025 Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards

• Employ over 25,000 people across the UK
• Expect to create more than 9,000 new jobs over the next year
• Generate a combined turnover of £2.25 billion
• Represent an average business age of six years

Julie Begbie founder of The Happy Business Company said:“I’m beyond thrilled to be named a finalist for AI Entrepreneur of the Year. Being recognised alongside some of the UK’s boldest and most brilliant businesses is an honour I don’t take lightly. This moment is more than just a milestone — it’s a loud-and-clear nod to my mission of making AI less intimidating, more accessible, and actually fun for small business owners. Because tech should empower, not overwhelm.”

The Great British Entrepreneur Awards are proudly supported by Allica Bank, a champion of established SMEs across the UK.

Conrad Ford, Chief Product & Strategy Officer at Allica said: "At Allica, we're consistently inspired by the energy and strength of UK SMEs. This year’s finalists – from early-stage start-ups to established and family businesses – represent a vital force in the British economy, driving innovation, creating jobs, and making a real difference in their communities. We’re proud to support the Great British Entrepreneur Awards for the third year in a row, recognising these outstanding business leaders who are not only demonstrating resilience in a challenging business environment but are paving the way for future entrepreneurs to follow."

Frankie James, founder of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, added: “We’re so proud to reveal this year’s shortlist, a truly remarkable group of founders who are changing lives and transforming industries. The quality of entries gets stronger every year, and it’s clear that the entrepreneurial spirit in the UK is more alive than ever.

Many of our finalists go on to become household names, and we can’t wait to watch what this year’s cohort achieves next.”

Winners will be announced at a prestigious awards ceremony on Monday, November 17, held at London’s Grosvenor House, where over 1,500 entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders will come together to celebrate entrepreneurial success.

It is with thanks to national and regional sponsors Allica Bank, ADHD 360, Airwallex, Caudwell Children, Channel Funnels, de Novo Solutions, EliteBusinessLive, FundOnion, Great Influence, Join Talent, Mettryx, Quidos, Randal Charitable Foundation, ScoreApp, UBS Wealth Management and Vestd that the Great British Entrepreneur Awards has been able to celebrate the very best of Great British entrepreneurs for 13 years.

For more information about The Happy Business Company please visit juliebegbie.com To learn more about the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, visit www.greatbritishentrepreneurawards.com.