The British Business Awards will return on 30 April 2026 with a powerful purpose — aiming to raise at least £1 million for the homelessness charity Social Bite.
Building on the success of last year’s star-studded event, which included a moving acoustic set by Sting and a keynote speech from Sir Bob Geldof, this year’s ceremony will feature a special guest appearance and conversation with Oscar-winning actor and renowned humanitarian George Clooney.
This year’s awards will once again be supported by NatWest Group and is set to attract some of the UK’s most prominent businesses, with up to 2000 business leaders in attendance.
Mr Clooney will attend both the British Business Awards being held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on the 30 April as well as a special fundraising dinner being organised by Social Bite at Gleneagles Hotel on 29th April and will discuss his career in Hollywood and humanitarian work as the co-founder of the Clooney Foundation for Justice.
The actor was given a huge Edinburgh welcome when he visited the city and the Social Bite café in November 2015, helping raise awareness for the charity’s mission to end homelessness.
Last year’s British Business Awards’ finalists included blue-chip companies such as Dell Computing, HP, The PureGym Group, Scottish Power and Miller Homes alongside entrepreneurs and leaders from across the UK. Alongside a conversation with George Clooney, the 2026 event will be introduced with remarks from awards patron Sir Bob Geldof and co-hosted by comedians Rob Brydon and Elaine C Smith.
Entries to the awards are now open with a wide range of award categories to enter including: Entrepreneur of the Year, Socially Responsible Business of the Year, International Business of the Year, Employer of the Year and Green Business of the Year. To enter, businesses are required to submit a 1000 word written application by March 13th.
There will be an independent judging panel made up of 18 key figures from British industry chaired by the former CEO of Unilever Alan Jope CBE, alongside Emma Crystal, CEO of Coutts Bank. and including Phil Urban, CEO of Mitchells & Butlers who own many of the UK’s best loved hospitality venues, and Vinodka “Vin” Murria OBE, a renowned software entrepreneur often known as the “Queen of Tech” having founded three tech companies with a combined a “multi unicorn” valuation of in excess of $2.5bn.
“George made such an incredible impact to Social Bite when he visited our café 10 years ago and we’re honoured to have him join us again at these events which help us raise much-needed funds to help end homelessness in the UK. Last year’s British Business Awards were a triumph. Not only did we recognise and celebrate some of Britain’s biggest success stories, we also smashed our target and helped to raise over £1.3m for Social Bite, alongside a special fundraiser at Gleneagles Hotel. This year’s awards are set to be even more exciting, and we couldn’t be more delighted to welcome back George Clooney to Scotland.”
Josh Littlejohn MBE who is the event director of the British Business Awards and is the founder of Social Bite
“The calibre of entries for last year’s British Business Awards was extremely high and we’re expecting an even higher standard for 2026. Despite challenging times, British businesses continue to show remarkable resilience and innovation. My fellow judges and I are very much looking forward to hearing about some of the incredible ways British companies are making an impact in their sectors and celebrating their success.”
Alan Jope CBE, Chair of the judging panel
“We are proud to sponsor the British Business Awards, and to continue our support for the life-changing work undertaken by Social Bite. These awards recognise the determination, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit that sit at the heart of businesses right across Great Britain. By helping them to achieve their ambitions, we can drive innovation and growth throughout the economy and build a more prosperous, sustainable future for all.”
Paul Thwaite, CEO of NatWest Group
For further information on the awards or for more details on how to enter visit: www.britishbusinessawards.co.uk
