With a £30,000 cash grant programme, VistaPrint and Enterprise Nation are helping small high-street businesses to reach their full potential.
For the third year in a row, VistaPrint and Enterprise Nation have joined forces to provide a cash grant programme to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses. And this year, it’s all about our independent high street shops!
In December 2025, the programme awarded 6 small businesses from across the UK £5,000 each, plus access to marketing and design support and expertise.
Meet this year’s winners below.
Craig’s Barber Shop
Craig Henderson
Craig Henderson opened his barbershop with a clear goal in mind – to make the high street more inclusive, accessible and welcoming. Drawing on personal experience, he set out to create a calm space where neurodivergent clients and people with disabilities would feel supported and truly at ease. Built on patience, empathy and understanding, Craig’s Barber Shop has become a high-street haven and a trusted space within the community.
Hoyle’s Games
Emily Scaysbrook
Emily Scaysbrook runs Hoyle’s Games, a shop that sells any game or puzzle imaginable – as long as it doesn’t come attached to a screen. A traditional games shop in the heart of Oxford, they’re on a mission to appeal to modern audiences while rekindling a love for pastimes that encourage people to slow down and reconnect with each other. They also champion small business collaboration through a number of thoughtful initiatives, including a tear-off map of Oxford that guides visitors from one local business to the next.
Little Izzies
Stephanie Murphy
Inspired by both love and loss, Stephanie Murphy created Little Izzies play café as a tribute to her daughter, Isabella. It’s a creative and inclusive space where children and their parents or carers feel equally looked after, and where friendships are formed over coffee and play. Stephanie set out to build a place that feels like a second home, full of imagination, comfort and kindness – and that’s exactly what Little Izzies has grown into.
Neighbourhood Shop
Emma Criddle
Emma Criddle runs a small but lively shop in Shoreham-by-Sea which, in her own words, “never sits still”. From ever-changing window displays to the artists she features (a whopping 100 at any one time!), you never quite know what you’ll find at Neighbourhood Shop, which is exactly why you keep going back. It’s a cosy community space brimming with creativity, inviting locals to connect over art, records… and coffee, of course.
The Snug Bookshop and Cafe
Samantha Carr
Sam Carr’s bookshop – aptly named The Snug Bookshop and Café – is exactly what you’d expect from a small, independent bookshop in rural Somerset: welcoming, cosy and full to the brim with knick-knacks that transport you to other worlds. But it’s more than a book lover’s haven. It’s a local literary hub on a mission to improve literacy among children, built through partnerships with local schools and regular literary meet-ups at the shop.
Y.O.U. Underwear
Sarah Jordan
Sarah Jordan founded Y.O.U. Underwear with a simple idea: That everyday essentials could be made more sustainably and used to create real impact. Now based in the Oxford Covered Market, the brand has become a favourite with local shoppers for its soft, organic cotton underwear and its buy-one, give-one model, which has so far resulted in more than 61,000 donated pairs. Alongside her team, Sarah continues to support local businesses and charities through a range of collaborative initiatives.
Meet our past Remarkable winners
Jonathan Cottom
Breakbottle
Jonny Cottom wanted to make it easy for people to drink sustainably on the go. His company Breakbottle brought this project to life through a crowdfunding campaign, and now has successfully launched a reusable bottle with an innovative twist open design. His mission is to make sustainable choices accessible and help give back to the community.
Chala Chai
Andrew McGuire
Andrew McGuire wanted to raise the standard of chai served in coffee shops to the same standard as coffee, and so founded Chala Chai. As a person with dyslexia, he wants his business to give back to his community and help young people with dyslexia to thrive in creativity and business.
Cookieman
Stuart Hope
Stuart Hope first started his Kent business at home during the pandemic. After his indulgent, home-baked cookies started to take off, he rebranded as Cookieman, and currently offers his treats at local markets, pop-up events and online.
Cubefun
Caitrin Kincaid
Caitrin Kincaid created Cubefun during the pandemic to help keep her young children active and healthy. This themed cube game helps children with spatial awareness, physical movement and more. With her cubes already being used in local gyms and children’s clubs, Caitrin plans to do even more community outreach in the future.
Fleur and Rebelle
Annabelle Heatley
Fleur and Rebelle is a florist founded by Annabelle Wheatley in Warwickshire that specialises in weddings, events and workshops. Her aim is to provide and promote an eco-conscious approach to floristry that supports local British flower growers and farmers.
Franchine Young
Franchine Young
Franchine Young was inspired to start her company when she created a product for herself whilst undergoing severe skin changes. Her award-winning skin product is made using minimal ingredients reducing the need for multiple skincare items and thereby preventing unnecessary wastage – some she feels strongly about.
Green Up Farm
Toni Borella
Based in West Wales, Green Up Farm is an indoor hydroponic vertical farm that grows deliciously healthy microgreens and speciality crops for the hospitality sector. With the aim to reduce waste and use only sustainable methods to cultivate their produce, Toni Borella and their team hope o provide huge benefits to their customers, as well as the environment.
Gumbo
Jacob Strauss
Gumbo is a search engine that saves home cooks time by helping them discover recipes that use the ingredients they have at home. Jacob Strauss and his team hope to help people reduce their food waste, save money and help them navigate the vast number of recipes online.
interlude
Caitlin Rozario
After experiencing burnout and health issues, Caitlin Rozario and Will Webster co-founded interlude to help solve the problems of unproductivity and low workplace satisfaction. Through the power of breaks, interlude wants to create healthier and more sustainable approaches to work in order to help workers feel calmer, more energised and more focused.
JulieMay
Tiffany Chiu
Tiffany Chiu was inspired to create JulieMay Lingerie in 2020 after seeing her mum develop skin allergies. Her lingerie brand is anti-allergy, anti-hot flushes, and itchy skin relieving. Her sustainable approach to her business, along with her ambitions to partner with healthcare providers, non-profits and educational programmes have earnt her business awards and recognition.
Laguna Lashes
Natasha Birk
Laguna Lashes is an eco-friendly eyelash brand on a mission to reduce plastic pollution in the beauty industry. Natasha Birk launched her brand in 2020 after struggling to find high-quality sustainable beauty products, and has since won awards for her approach to the beauty space.
Mind Body Goals Ltd.
Michael Crinnion
Michael Crinnion is passionate about educating people about wellbeing and mental health, and so developed his product Luma³ to help people learn techniques and exercises to reduce stress and aid restful sleep. His mission is to make his product, and better wellbeing, accessible to everyone.
More Diverse Voices
Emily Horton
Founded by journalist and public relations expert Emily Horton in 2021, More Diverse Voices helps companies connect with their audience through inclusive and anti-oppressive communications. Through workshops, communication strategies and campaigns, they hope to help build a more diverse and inclusive world.
Nature Nurture Kids
Alice Keverne
The idea for Nature Nurture Kids was born when Alice Keverne created a homemade nature kit for her daughter. Seeing a gap in the market for fun, sustainable kits, she created her business to empower, inspire and excite children into knowing they can make a difference for their future and our planet.
Pola Poles
Isaac Greenway-Tambini
Isaac Greenway-Tambini started his business 4 years ago by pushing an ice cream cart around Nottingham city centre, and now boasts being stocked in major retailers like Whole Foods. Pola Poles focuses on making ice pops a healthier natural snack by using local produce and partnering with local farms and businesses.
Pongoose Ltd.
Robin Rendall
Robin Rendall founded Pongoose Ltd in 2017 after inventing and developing a unique rock-climbing device. His ambition is to scale his business by creating more product designs whilst ensuring that he supports his community by manufacturing his products locally.
The Herde
Hannah Hardman
The Herde connects workplaces and children’s nurseries to help parents save money on childcare costs while providing nurseries with access to much-needed additional funding. Founded by two working women, they want to create systemic change in the way women and working parents are supported, especially as they return to their careers after having children.
UnderSky
Kathryn McNally
UnderSky is an Ayr-based venture that provides outdoor, nature-based experiences for children and families through events and products. With an aim to help protect the planet through the power of play, this two-woman team helps children to learn about the world around them in a fun and sustainable way, from games to exploration to visual activities.
WEIGHT.
Michael J Diamond
Co-founded in 2020 by Director Michael J. Diamond, WEIGHT. is a London-based production company focused on drama films capable of social impact. Their mission is to create beautiful films with powerful stories that inspire change, and nurture talent from underrepresented backgrounds.
Yes You Can Fitness
Simon Watts
Simon Watts created Yes You Can Fitness to provide safe exercise sessions and one-to-one personal training for cancer rehab patients. His goal is to support patients, giving them the confidence to exercise and positively empower them before, during and after treatment.
To help small businesses thrive, VistaPrint and Enterprise Nation have joined forces once again to provide a cash grant programme to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses. In December 2024, the programme awarded 20 small businesses from across the UK £3,000 each, plus access to marketing and design support and expertise.
Give Your Best
Sol Escobar
Sol Escobar and her team are on a unique mission to promote inclusive retail and tackle both clothing poverty and clothing waste. Give Your Best is an award-winning platform where individuals and brands can donate clothes, and refugees and other communities can shop for free and with the dignity they deserve. And it’s just the beginning: They’ve recently opened a pay-it-forward retail store in London, the first of its kind.
Human Beauty
Millie Flemington-Clare
Millie Flemington-Clare founded Human Beauty with a very clear goal in mind – to be a driving force for accessible beauty. Inspired by her own journey with a rare condition, she championed adjustments in product design that made Human Beauty the first beauty brand to introduce QR codes for audio descriptions of the products or have anti-roll packaging across all their product lines.
ZIG + STAR
Ali Mcaleavy
Ali Mcaleavy firmly believes we shouldn’t put labels on our children…or their shoes! With that in mind, she set out to create ZIG + STAR, unisex kids’ footwear that looks great and is good for their feet and the planet. And thanks to a removable midsole, each pair of shoes adjusts to kids’ growing feet and grows with them.
LUX LUZ CANDLES
Sophie Arup
Sophie Arup started LUX LUZ (which means “light”, to signify hope) as a social enterprise. Selling handmade eco-soy scented candles and reed diffusers, the company sets out to give back by giving 100% of their profits to projects supporting women affected by domestic violence in the UK.
Aduwham
Wendy Brobbey
Inspired by her mother’s journey with asthma, Wendy Brobbey set out to create a line of health-conscious candles made with clean ingredients and free from toxins. Aduwham blends luxury and sustainability by crafting luxury vegan candles that are safe, sustainable, and rooted in African culture.
Freelance Mum
Faye Dicker
Faye Dicker was juggling being a new mum around her freelance business when she realised she could really do with a network of fellow mums to share in the experience – so she started Freelance Mum. From monthly events to regular meetups (online and in-person!) Faye is creating a community of women doing it all.
It’s Halal
Saime Duhare
Saime Duhare turned her passion for nutrition and helping diverse communities into UK’s leading Halal recipe box service – the first in the country designed specifically for the Muslim community. It’s Halal delivers fresh produce with easy-to-follow recipe cards and educates customers on healthy eating habits. Their partnership with diabetes dieticians allows them to serve individuals with specific health needs too, a feature that is often overlooked.
Rich Roe Records
Marck Chikowe
Marck Chikowe started Rich Roe Records to provide affordable yet comprehensive services to aspiring musicians in Southend-on-Sea. Run by three 18-year-old entrepreneurs, it’s not your typical record label – Marck and his team combine knowledge of music with innovative digital marketing strategies to help put young local artists on the map – in Essex, and beyond.
Studio Koter
Anna Smit
Anna Smit’s drive to start Studio Koter was fuelled by her own frustrations at the lack of fun unisex clothing for her kids. She took matters into her own hands and started a London-based brand of modern, unisex kidswear that promotes inclusivity through colourful designs, made to last for generations.
No Fuss Meals For Busy Parents
Milly Fyfe
Milly Fyfe started No Fuss Meals as a handy cooking resource for busy parents, but it quickly evolved into a movement to spread awareness of sustainable farming and educate both parents and their children about food provenance, nutrition and healthy cooking. They share recipes, video tutorials and farmer interviews, and are currently building an on-farm classroom and an exciting field-to-fork educational programme.
Climb Snowdonia
Jess Bradshaw
Jess and Sam Bradshaw started Climb Snowdonia to make adventures accessible for all. They offer outdoor activities especially designed for families with additional needs, carefully thought-out so that the whole family can enjoy them. Helping others achieve what they’d previously thought impossible, all while enjoying the great outdoors, is at the heart of their mission.
Umutoni
Umutoni Thuku-Benzinge
Umutoni Thuku-Benzinge believes that jewellery too can be an agent of social change – and she’s making it happen. Umutoni is a luxury brand of handmade jewellery that’s entirely made in Kenya by local artisans from one of the largest urban slums in Africa. Each purchase of their finely crafted pieces directly supports the dreams and futures of communities that are often overlooked.
Jamii
Courtney Ismain
Courtney Ismain wanted to help level the playing field for Black British entrepreneurs, so she started Jamii, a discount card and a discovery platform for Black-owned brands in the UK. It allows shoppers to add a bit of purpose to their purchase (with savings on top), while behind the scenes Courtney and her team work with the likes of Lloyds Bank and Pinterest to create game-changing growth opportunities for Black makers and creators – from billboards to TV ads, and beyond.
Yes Gurl
Annette Christian
Annette Christian started Yes Gurl for Gen Z and millennial women looking to create genuine connections with each other. What sets her app apart is a matching algorithm that is based on personality types, as well as many offline-driven app features and in-person events meant to bridge the gap between online connections and real-life friendships.
Imagine Me Stories
Keisha Ehigie
As a Nigerian-Jamaican mum, Keisha Ehigie witnessed firsthand the impact of a lack of representation in children’s books on their self-esteem. She created Imagine Me Stories to offer inspiring educational resources that highlight diverse heroes from marginalised backgrounds. It is now an award-winning subscription box helping any child feel seen and valued.
Caroline Roper
The Atlantic Vineyard
Caroline Roper and her family turned an overgrown waste disposal site into a therapeutic haven for visitors looking to reconnect with family, friends and nature. The Atlantic Vineyard is a holistic off-grid retreat in Cornwall and the only vineyard in the region to plant a new hybrid vine designed exclusively for the English climate and grown without any chemical treatment.
Social Gallery
Caroline Wigmore
As part of the Social Gallery project, Caroline Wigmore and her team collect everyday stories of people who have brought about social change in local communities, and they curate them into large-scale public exhibitions, films, media and events. These, in turn, give people a chance to connect and make new friendships, experiences and memories within their community and beyond.
Bold Kidswear
Jattu Kallon
As a mum of an autistic son, Jattu Kallon was inspired to create a brand that would foster inclusivity and inspire confidence in young children. Bold Kidswear offers sensory-friendly wellies and rain coats, as well as a book about young heroes on a journey of self-discovery. Their overall mission is to grow a supportive community that connects parents to resources and understanding.
Chapmans of London
Tolani Agoro
Tolani Agoro created Chapmans of London to celebrate her Nigerian heritage and bring the vibrant flavours of Nigeria to the UK. Inspired by the famous Nigerian punch Chapman, the non-alcoholic cocktail is sparkling, fruity and infused with just the right amount of cucumber and bitters. According to Tolani (and many happy customers), it’s the Nigerian secret everyone deserves to know about!
NINA
Emily Orlik
Emily Orlik wanted more baby clothes to be made of the finest organic cotton. She also wanted to offer unique, modern designs, so she partnered with emerging female artists to create unique muslin blankets for her baby shop NINA. She is now launching a matchmaking platform to connect more brands with talented, yet underrepresented local artists.
