There’s just one week to go to get your applications in for the Xero Beautiful Business Fund! Applications are closing Friday, 6 October 2023 at 5:00 pm local time in your country (AEST, NZDT, BST, PDT, SAST or SGT). A huge thank you to all of those who’ve already applied, and those that have shared news of the fund through your networks.

First time hearing of the Xero Beautiful Business Fund? It’s not too late to get involved! The Xero Beautiful Business Fund is a NZ$750,000 initiative that we set up to support Xero small business customers who want to take the next step in various aspects of their business. Applying is really easy – all you need to do is put together a maximum 90 second pitch video, upload it to our competition website, and fill out the application form.

Categories

We’re seeking applications from eligible small businesses across any of the following four categories:

Innovating for sustainability – For small businesses who want to take the next step on their sustainability journey. For example, it could be to move to sustainable packaging, implement energy-efficient equipment or carbon neutral transport.
Trailblazing with technology – For small businesses seeking to innovate. This could include digitalising parts of their operations or integrating new emerging technologies.
Strengthening community connection – For small businesses or non-profits who strive to give back to their communities. It could be to contribute to philanthropy, social good, or make an impact on the community in a meaningful way.
Upskilling for the future – For small businesses seeking to support upskilling for themselves or their employees. This could include access to training and other professional development opportunities.

Prizes

The prize pool is worth a total of NZ$750,000 and is split across a fixed amount per category per country. Each of the regional judging panels in each of the seven countries where the competition is running will select four winners (one for each category) for a total of 28 regional winners. Each winner will receive NZ$20,000 in funding or a regional equivalent.

The pool of regional winners (28 winners total) will then be evaluated by a global judging panel and 4 global winners (1 in each category) will be identified and receive an additional global prize of NZ$50,000 in funding. 

You can read more about the categories and prize pool here and how they’ll be judged here.

More information

Looking for more information? See our resources below to help you get started:

xerobeautifulbusinessfund.com – This is where you’ll head to when you are ready to apply! 
xero.com/beautiful-business-fund – Check out this page if you need more information about the Fund, including our FAQs and details for accounting and bookkeeping partners about our partner toolkit to help share the news about this new initiative. 
Contest eligibility & judging criteria – Learn more about our contest eligibility and judging criteria for the Xero Beautiful Business Fund. Remember, our full terms and conditions are available online here. 
Funding categories & prizes – You’ll find more details on our funding categories and our global and regional prize breakdown. 

We’ve also published a number of blogs with more information you can reference: 

How to apply & application tips
Ways for accountants and bookkeepers to get involved
Apply now to help your business achieve its sustainability goals 
Not-for-profit? You’re a small business too, so apply today! 
Apply now to upskill your team for the future

Thanks again to all of our small business customers who have already submitted an application. We can’t wait to hear more about your future business aspirations and learn about your story when the judging period commences.

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