Initiative Terms

Initiative Terms & Conditions of Entry

What is the Initiative?

As part of our continued support of Black talent and businesses around the UK, Black In Business is a program developed by Channel 4 and Lloyds Bank, supported by DOES, aimed to elevate and grow Black Owned Businesses through the power of TV Advertising. The scheme will see up to five Black Owned Businesses funded with £100,000 worth of advertising spend on Channel 4, plus the creation of their own bespoke TV commercial and six months’ worth of Marketing and Business Mentorship.

• From here-on, Channel 4, Lloyds Bank and DOES will be referred to as ‘The Organisers’
• Applications will open on Friday 26th May 2023 at 10am, and close on Wednesday 28^th June 2023 at 4pm

Who is eligible to apply?

To qualify for the initiative, businesses must be able to prove the following:

• Businesses must be New To TV Advertisers [i.e. this is the first time they’ve ever run a TV campaign]  
• Must have at least 50% of Founding team identify as Black
• Proof of existence and provide a company number and VAT number
• You’re over 18 years of age
• Your product must be in the market for at least 6 months [from date of application]
• Must have professional indemnity

Companies will be selected based on their suitability for the initiative and fit with Channel 4 and Lloyds Bank.

The Package

Up to Five businesses will be selected to participate in the initiative, and will each be given:

£100,000 of Channel 4 airtime to be redeemed across the Channel 4 Network

• No cash equivalent is available
• Airtime will be booked at the absolute discretion of Channel 4. Notwithstanding the above, Channel 4 will try to plan efficiently for the winning brands’ target audiences.
• The airtime must be redeemed between February 2024 – April 2024, however there is the potential, at Channel 4’s sole discretion, for these dates to be flexible, pending negotiation.  
• By applying for the initiative, you accept our Airtime Terms and Conditions and Digital and On Demand Advertising Terms and Conditions available at https://www.4sales.com/trading-terms-and-conditions and confirm you have read our Privacy Policy: https://www.channel4.com/4viewers/privacy 
• The final advertisements must run exclusively on Channel 4 for the ‘campaign period’ [the time in which you are redeeming the airtime on Channel 4]. The final advertisements cannot run on any other media platforms during this period.
• The campaign will also select five Rising Stars – businesses that show great potential. They will receive a package of support including £3,000 grant funding, tailored consulting and promotional opportunities provided by Jamii – an online marketplace for Black businesses.  

The creation and production of their own TV advert

• Each business will receive a 30” TV Advert, plus a cut down produced by Channel 4.
• The advertisement produced for the five successful businesses will follow a standardised creative concept produced and managed by Channel 4, this creative concept will be revealed at the second stage of this initiative, but will endeavour to appropriately promote the successful businesses.
• The advertisements will also feature a branded Black In Business endboard, along with the organisers logos.
• Usage of the produced advertisement beyond the airtime awarded by the initiative will be subject to further negotiation and costs.
• The production companies used to direct and film the adverts will be selected and contracted by Channel 4.  
• Channel 4 will endeavour to work with production companies and partners that are (majority) from the Black community.

The Application Process

The application process will be grouped into 3 separate stages:

1^st stage: Initial written application

2^nd stage: Video entry

3^rd stage: Face to face interview [we will endeavour to accommodate special requests]

• After the closing date [28^th June 4pm 2023], the applications will be reviewed by The Organisers, and shortlisted to up to 30 businesses. The successful businesses will be contacted by email by Monday 17th July 2023. Unsuccessful businesses will also be contacted before this time.
• The short-listed businesses will then be invited to submit a [5-10 minute] video, answering 10 pre-determined questions. The questions will only be sent to the shortlisted businesses.
• Video submissions will need to be submitted by Monday 31st July 2023 which will then be reviewed by the Organisers and shortlisted up to 10 businesses.
• The final short-listed businesses will be invited to a live, in-person interview with the Organisers.  Interview requirements will be sent to the short-listed businesses only  
• The final interviews will take place in person on Wednesday 23rd August 2023
• Inability to attend the interview [in person or remote] will result in your application being removed from the initiative.
• The Organisers are entirely responsible for choosing the final businesses and their decisions are final.
• The Organisers (acting reasonably) reserve the right not to select any businesses or shortlist any applications, and/or to remove or amend selection criteria and/or the structure and operation if the applications are not of the requisite standard. 
• The successful businesses will be notified by [Wednesday 30^th August 2023] and publicly announced by [7^th September 2023].

• The unsuccessful shortlist entrants will also be notified on by [Wednesday 30th August 2023] and will have access to a series of business and marketing masterclasses, support resources and reading lists and the DOES Black Business Community for daily opportunities to grow your business
• Any press releases referring to the initiative must be discussed with and approved by the organisers
• The Organisers reserve the right to amend the initiative terms during the selection process if it is deemed necessary. In this event, The Organisers will notify all entrants of the change and will publish the updated rules on the website www.Channel4.com/BlackInBusiness

Other

• Channel 4, Lloyds Bank and DOES process the personal data that you submit in order to assess your application for the Black in Business initiative.  For more details on how Channel 4, Lloyds Banking Group and DOES handle your personal data, please refer to their respective privacy policy:

https://www.channel4.com/4viewers/contributor-policy

https://www.lloydsbank.com/help-guidance/privacy-explained/data-privacy-notice.html

• By applying for the initiative, businesses must accept their data being shared between Channel 4, Lloyds Banking Group and DOES 
• By applying for the initiative, we reserve the rights to conduct a full research analysis post campaign to see how campaign performed and share this externally