Channel 4 invites black British entrepreneurs to apply for TV ad scheme worth £150k

Channel 4 is offering four black-owned British companies the chance to secure television advertising worth £150,000. The initiative - Black in Business - gives firms the chance to create their own commercial for the channel, plus six months of marketing and business mentorship.

The scheme, which is being run in partnership with Lloyds, first launched last year. It is open to companies that generated a turnover of at least £250,000 in their last financial year and have not invested in TV advertising before. At least 50% of the founding team must also identify as black.

Black in Business was inspired by research led by Channel 4 Sales, which revealed that 56% of black-owned businesses only receive funding once they are successful, compared to just 35% of white counterparts who were given the same requirement by lenders.

Last year, the initiative attracted more than 1,000 applications, with the TV adverts for the five beneficiaries seen by 21.5 million people, according to Channel 4.

Among the winners of the inaugural scheme was The Turmeric Co - a nutrition brand set up by former footballer Thomas Hal Robson-Kanu. The health drinks