Proud sponsors of the Bath Dragons 2026
After the resounding success of last year’s inaugural competition, the Bath Dragons 2026 competition launched this week and promises to be even bigger, bolder, and packed with opportunity for growing businesses across Bath and the surrounding area.
We are delighted to sponsor this year’s competition which brilliantly supports local businesses looking to grow, offering financial support and expertise from some of the city’s leading business service companies.
Richard Ingle, CEO of Bath Building Society, said:
“We wholeheartedly support Bath Dragons vision to encourage business growth in Bath, which aligns to the Society’s purpose of helping our Members live sustainable and financially resilient lives. This support of Bath Dragons is just one of the many local community partnerships we are proud to be part of, in addition to our commitment to donate to 2% of profits back to the local community through charitable organisations each year. We wish all entrants the best of luck!”
This year the winner will receive a £5,000 cash prize in addition to an impressive £20,000 business support package, giving access to expert guidance spanning accountancy, tax, corporate finance, legal strategy, and PR.
The programme has been designed to equip growing businesses with the skills, advice, and confidence needed to accelerate growth and scale faster. Entries are open to limited companies, over 2 years old, with turnover of £100K or over, based in BANES or within 10 miles of the centre of Bath.
Last year’s champions, The Copper Crew by the Canned Wine Company, impressed the Dragons with their ambitious plan to roll out an innovative wine-on-tap model across the UK.
The Bath Dragons initiative is a collaborative effort led by four of Bath’s top local businesses: accountants and tax advisers Richardson Swift, law firm Mogers Drewett, business finance and funding experts South West Business Finance and business magazine The Business Exchange.
The finalists will be revealed in late April with a live final to be held on 1st June at The Apex Hotel.
The Dragons line up will remain the same this year, with the contestants having to outline their growth plans via a series of interviews and written submissions to Dan Smith, co-founder of South West Business Finance; Tom Webb, partner at Mogers Drewett; Debbie Boulton, managing director of Richardson Swift and Anita Jaynes, founder of The Business Exchange.
Local businesses and organisations interested in entering can click here for more information and entry forms. Deadline is 1st April. Good luck everyone!