Entrepreneurs operating businesses in Oxfordshire can compete for funding worth a total of £100,000.

The money is being supplied through the NatWest Accelerator Pitch competition, which is open to founders from throughout the United Kingdom.

Each final event will award part of this prize fund.

Darren Pirie, who heads the NatWest Accelerator programme, explained that obtaining finance remains a considerable hurdle for many business owners, and this contest gives founders a dynamic stage to build confidence while competing for the support needed to grow their ventures.

Each face-to-face gathering will select five participants to make their case.

The Oxford session is fixed for June 18, with further gatherings arranged in Cardiff on September 10 and London during November.

Participants need to join the free NatWest Accelerator community to become eligible, which they can access via the NatWest Accelerator application.

Competitors must submit a 60-second video outlining their business and growth plans by 5pm on May 5.

At the live gatherings, every founder will give a three-minute pitch, followed by as many as seven minutes of questioning from the judging panel.

The three highest-placing businesses will receive £70,000, £20,000, and £10,000 in order of finish.

Since launching in 2025, the contest has staged three events and handed out almost £300,000 in total funding.

Dora Handrea, who directs EnSpire, an entrepreneurship hub at the University of Oxford, observed that it is positive for the region that NatWest is bringing its Accelerator Pitch competition to Oxford.

Previous contenders include POTINA, a company concentrating on infant nutrition that tackles children’s wellbeing through fermentation and nutritional science.

Adam Womersley, who established POTINA, said that the preparation, the financial injection, and the contacts that came afterward allowed the team to advance more swiftly and make choices with considerably greater certainty.

The business obtained £10,000 in funding, and its items can now be found on Tesco shelves.

Orli, a wellbeing platform designed to help children, parents, and educational establishments understand feelings and improve communication skills, took first place with £70,000 of funding.

Dr Mark Cox, the chief executive and originator of Orli, noted that the funding enabled the team to roll out Orli in real classrooms and start gaining insights from actual young people.

The artificial intelligence recommendation engine delivers support materials to parents and has become a vital resource for dealing with lengthy waiting lists for services such as CAMHS.

The NatWest Accelerator community helps business owners through a network of physical locations.

These encompass centres in London, Milton Keynes, and Warwick.

The contest aims to give founders both capital and exposure alongside strategic assistance that can accelerate business growth.

By prioritising ventures focused on technology, NatWest aims to contribute to the broader innovation ecosystem.