The Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards has announced a major new media partnership with ITV for 2026.
The ITV Growth Accelerator Award will give the winning business £500,000 of national television advertising, believed to be the largest and most commercially valuable award ever offered to a single company by a UK business awards programme.
The brand new category is designed to identify and actively accelerate one of Britain’s fastest-growing businesses by giving it access to the scale, reach and credibility of ITV advertising.
The ITV Growth Accelerator Award is aimed at businesses demonstrating exceptional momentum, strong leadership and the ambition to scale at pace. The award targets companies that have outgrown regional visibility and are ready to step onto a national stage.
The winning business will receive £500,000 of ITV advertising, providing access to millions of viewers across ITV’s broadcast channels and ITVX
Speaking ahead of the announcement, Kate Waters, Director of Client Strategy and Commercial Marketing, ITV said: “For high-growth UK companies, television is one of the most powerful tools for rapid brand-building, customer acquisition and credibility. The award is designed to remove the financial barrier to entry and act as a genuine growth accelerator.”
The Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards is widely regarded as a benchmark for recognising excellence across British enterprise, celebrating leadership, innovation, customer experience and sustainable growth across organisations of all sizes.
The 2026 partnership with ITV marks a significant evolution in the role of business awards, shifting from recognition alone to active commercial enablement.
By combining the Awards’ national credibility with ITV’s unrivalled reach, the partnership aims to spotlight, and materially support, the businesses driving the next phase of UK economic growth.
Commenting on this new and unique partnership, Awards Director, Sarah Austin said: “As British companies navigate a challenging economic landscape, the partnership is designed to back ambition, reward performance and provide tangible support to firms with the potential to scale quickly and sustainably.”
Austin added: “Together, the Lloyds Business Excellence Awards and ITV will not only celebrate success, but help create it, giving one standout business the opportunity to transform its growth trajectory through national television exposure.”
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Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards and ITV partner for £500,000 TV advertising prize
